NEET: Tamil Nadu mulls sub-quota for govt school students in medicine

NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu government is planning on enacting a special law to enable a sub-quota for government school students clearing the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in medical schools.

It has been observed that the number of students from government schools making it to medical colleges in the state has decreased. This was observed by the Madras High Court as well.

The Indian Express reported that on March 21, K Palaniswami, chief minister of Tamil Nadu, informed the State Assembly that “the number of government school students joining medical colleges in the state after the introduction of NEET has come down.”

Eligibility

This sub-quota, if approved, will apply for students who have studied Classes 1 to 12 in government, corporation or municipality-run schools, among others.

The government will set up a commission headed by a retired high court judge to guide the government in the matter.

Palaniswami said: “The commission will comprise secretaries of School education, family welfare and law departments and two educationists appointed by the school education department.”

The purpose of the commission would be to study the reasons for the decrease in the number of students from government schools in joining medical courses in Tamil Nadu, taking their economic background into account and making its recommendations to the government within one month.

The Centre had implemented the procedure of admission of students to medical courses based on NEET qualification in the academic year 2016-17.

The Indian Express reported that Palaniswami said that NEET has been opposed since its implementation and even a resolution was passed in the Assembly in 2017 opposing it.
“Amma government, public and the state strongly oppose NEET,” he said,

Palaniswami said that the government has filed a case in the Supreme Court against NEET where the government was highlighting the effect the new procedure was having on rural students.

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