The bipartisan resolution seeks to scrap NEET and restore Class 12 marks-based admissions for undergraduate medical courses
In a rare show of political unity, the ruling DMK and opposition AIADMK joined hands in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday to back a resolution seeking the abolition of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admissions in the state.
The resolution, moved by Tamil Nadu Health Minister K G Arunraj, urged the Centre to scrap NEET and restore the earlier system of admitting students to undergraduate medical courses based on their Class 12 marks.
The resolution was supported by the DMK, AIADMK, PMK, Left parties and other smaller groups. The lone BJP MLA, however, opposed the move and staged a walkout.
DMK and AIADMK put differences aside
The backing from AIADMK is significant as the party and the DMK remain fierce political rivals in Tamil Nadu.
However, both parties have opposed NEET on the grounds that a centralised entrance examination could disadvantage students from rural and economically weaker backgrounds.
The Assembly resolution argued that NEET undermines social justice and equality and affects the state’s rights over medical education.
The bipartisan support gives the anti-NEET campaign a broader political base in Tamil Nadu, with parties across the political spectrum joining the demand for greater autonomy in medical admissions.
Assembly seeks return to Class 12 marks
The resolution called for undergraduate medical admissions to be based on students’ Class 12 performance instead of NEET scores.
The state government has argued that such a system would provide greater opportunities to students from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds who may not have access to expensive coaching for national-level entrance examinations.
Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed NEET and has repeatedly sought either an exemption from the examination or its abolition.
BJP MLA walks out
The resolution also triggered a confrontation with the BJP.
The party’s lone MLA opposed the proposal and walked out of the Assembly after other parties backed the resolution.
The BJP has maintained a different position on NEET, defending the national examination as a common and merit-based system for medical admissions.
The walkout underlined the sharp divide between the BJP and the rest of the major political parties in the state on the issue.
NEET remains a political flashpoint
NEET has remained one of Tamil Nadu’s most contentious education and political issues for years.
Successive state governments and political parties have argued that a common national entrance examination can disproportionately affect students from government schools and rural areas.
The latest resolution comes amid renewed debate over the examination and demands for changes to the medical admission system. Recent concerns over examination integrity and the impact of national-level entrance tests have further fuelled opposition to NEET.
A rare moment of political unity
The passage of the resolution marks an unusual moment in Tamil Nadu politics, with the DMK and AIADMK — traditionally bitter rivals — backing the same demand inside the Assembly.
For the TVK-led state government, the resolution strengthens its political position on an issue that has long resonated with Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian parties.
The immediate challenge, however, lies with the Centre, since abolishing or changing NEET for medical admissions would require action at the national level.
For now, Tamil Nadu’s Assembly has sent a clear political message: DMK and AIADMK may disagree on almost everything, but on NEET, they are on the same page.
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These are disruptive jokers. SCRAP NEET In TN, make all the medical graduates appear for a FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES QUALIFIER, if they are looking for all India registration, the private medical collages will mint money without quality and merit control but the students will pay the price.