NEET panel in Tamil Nadu will give its report in a month, says Govt

Chennai: A high-level committee led by retired judge of the Madras High Court, A K Rajan to study the impact of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test on aspirants from the socially disadvantaged sections in medical admissions, would make its recommendations in a month, the state government said here on Thursday.

Besides Justice Rajan, who heads the panel, there would be eight other members including Dr G R Ravindranath (Doctors Association for Social Equality), Jawahar Nesan (educationist) and six top government officials including Principal Secretary of Medical and Family Welfare Department.

The panel would study the data related to medical admissions in the state and make necessary recommendations within a month to safeguard the interests of students from the backward sections and "the government will initiate the next course of action after considering the recommendations," an official release here said.

On June 5, Stalin had said that Tamil Nadu always had the historic duty of upholding social justice and to fulfil that duty continuously, the government is determined to take all steps to address the consequences due to the NEET. Announcing the panel, the Chief Minister had said it would analyse if the national test had an adverse impact on students from backward classes and if it was so, the committee would recommend remedial measures (suggesting an alternative admission procedure that would benefit all) to the government.

Almost all parties including the ruling DMK and main opposition AIADMK are on the same page as regards NEET and they have been demanding that the test be scrapped arguing that it went against social justice. Aspriants from rural regions, those who studied in government schools and students belonging to backward classes could not get admisison in medical courses, parties had said time and again.

The opposition to the test grew manifold in Tamil Nadu following the suicide of several aspirants including a Dalit girl. The previous AIADMK government had in October last year introduced 7.5 per cent reservation to government school students who clear NEET in medical admissions.

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