We are determined in getting Neet exemption: Tamil Nadu Health Minister

CHENNAI: While stating that the Tamil Nadu government is determined in getting the exemption from Neet for the students from the state, health minister C. Vijayabaskar said, "The government is also considering alternative measures like reserving seats for rural students."

He was responding to DMK's Thangam Thennarasu who sought to know the stand of state in Neet exam issue in the assembly on Thursday.

"The Neet bills are with the ministry of home affairs. The bills are yet to reach the President for the assent. It has to be either accepted or rejected. Only if it gets rejected, we can move to the court," Vijayabaskar said.

 He also pointed out that around 4.2 lakh students from state board have appeared for Biology exam this year, while only 4,675 students wrote the CBSE exam in the state. Most of the state board students are from rural areas and CBSE students are from urban areas.

"The government is fighting for the poor students who can study MBBS for the meagre fees of '16,000 in 2,480 seats. But the Union HRD Ministry and health ministry did not give the favourable opinion to the TN bills, but we are confident of receiving the favourable response," he added.

DMK deputy floor leader Duraimurgan who intervened in the debate said, "The Chief Minister and other ministers should have camped in Delhi and got the approval. Why the-re is so much delay in getting the President's assent?"

"It is the perfect case of operation success and patient dead," he remarked.

Electricity minister P. Thangamani said, "DMK has not done anything like that during its tenure to set up the Cauvery Management Board." For this Duraimurugan said, "The people had given you the mandate because we did not do it."