NEET: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay reiterates opposition to exam before Nilekani-led panel

Chairman of the High Powered Task Force on examination reforms Nandan Nilekani called on Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat here on Wednesday. In a meeting, in which members of the panel, IIT-Madras Director V Kamakoti, former Union Education Secretary Anita Karwal and EkStep Foundation CEO Shankar Maruwada took part, CM Vijay reiterated the Tamil Nadu government's firm stand against NEET.

According to an official release, the government clearly conveyed its stand against NEET or similar exams for admission to higher education courses. Instead, 12th standard marks should be the basis for admissions, the state told the panel. It was highlighted that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had passed a unanimous resolution on August 11, 2026 opposing NEET. Accordingly, the government of Tamil Nadu reiterated its position and recommended the abolition of NEET and similar examinations for admissions to medical and other courses.

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In August this year, the Union government constituted the High-Powered Task Force (HPTF) with Nilekani as chairman, to examine and recommend comprehensive reforms relating to the conduct, security, design and governance of public examinations, including examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The Task Force is examining measures for strengthening institutional systems and processes, ensuring examination integrity and security, deploying appropriate technologies, augmenting examination infrastructure, promoting accessibility and inclusion, and safeguarding student well-being. The objective is to develop a robust, secure, transparent, equitable and future-ready public examination system, according to the Centre.