Chennai, April 4 -- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced on Friday that the state's resolution seeking exemption from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) has been declined by the President, calling the rejection "a dark chapter in federalism."

Speaking on the floor of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Stalin expressed profound disappointment over the Centre's decision while vowing to continue the fight against the medical entrance examination.

"Despite the Tamil Nadu government furnishing all necessary clarifications through various ministries, the Union government has now rejected the exemption from NEET," Stalin told lawmakers. "Due to the implementation of NEET, the dreams of poor and rural students of becoming doctors have been out of reach. This will affect medical services in rural and backward areas of the state in the future."

The Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Act, 2021 was unanimously passed in September 2021 and later readopted after initial objections from Governor RN Ravi. The Bill proposed allowing admissions to medical courses based solely on Class 12 marks rather than NEET scores.

Stalin announced a meeting of legislature party leaders scheduled for April 9 to determine the state's next course of action.

The announcement triggered an immediate political backlash from Opposition parties. AIADMK chief and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami accused the ruling DMK of misleading voters on the issue.

"The DMK came to power in 2021 promising to cancel NEET. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin then said he knew the secret on abrogating NEET. But nothing was done thus far," Palaniswami told reporters after walking out of the Assembly. "How long will the DMK deceive the people?"

BJP state president K Annamalai issued an even stronger rebuke, declaring that "the chief minister's NEET drama has officially come to an end." Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore, Annamalai challenged Stalin to take the matter to the Supreme Court.

"I challenge the chief minister; I ask him to go to the Supreme Court," Annamalai said. "The DMK, however, will not go to the Supreme Court as NEET itself came to be implemented only because of the apex court."

NEET has become an emotionally charged issue in Tamil Nadu following several suicide cases involving aspirants who either failed the exam or feared not clearing it. The death of S Anita from Ariyalur district in 2017 sparked particular outrage across the state.

All political parties in Tamil Nadu except the BJP support abolishing NEET, viewing it as disadvantageous to students from rural and economically weaker backgrounds.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.