NEET Bill Delay: Before President's budget speech, Tamil Nadu MPs protest

NEW DELHI: Before the start of President Ram Nath Kovind's address to Parliament, DMK and Congress MPs from Tamil Nadu protested over the governor "delaying" a bill related to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). A Bill adopted by the Tamil Nadu assembly to exempt the state from the test is pending with the governor for his consideration. The DMK and Congress MPs protested and raised placards before the start of the president's address. They sat down after being asked to do so before the president began his address.

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The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had passed a Bill on September 13, 2021, to exempt the state from the NEET. According to the bill, admissions to medical, dentistry, Indian medicine and homoeopathy programmes are to be given on the basis of Class 12 marks. The bill also has provisions to provide 7.5 percent horizontal reservation for government school students. The Tamil Nadu government NEET exam exemption bill has been proposed in the context of alleged suicides by medical aspirants, following low marks in the entrance exam.

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On January 8, 2022, M K Stalin, chief minister of Tamil Nadu held a meeting to discuss the bill pending with the Centre. According to Stalin, NEET is against the interests of the rural students. He said had previously said that the Centre, through NEET had diluted the states' rights to decide how to conduct medical admissions. Stalin contended that the Bill sent for the Governor's approval had not been forwarded to the President.

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