Give assent to Anti-NEET Bill: Tamil Nadu CM urges President Murmu

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin urged President Droupadi Murmu to accord assent to the Tamil Nadu Admission to Under Graduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021 and sought exemption from NEET based medical selection process as it is 'detrimental' to students.

"I wish to draw your kind attention to the need to expedite the granting of assent to the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021, which has been pending for presidential assent for more than a year," the Chief Minister wrote in his letter.

Stalin pointed out that since the NEET-based medical selection process is detrimental to students from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds, the state has opted for selection for MBBS course based on the marks obtained by the candidates in Class 12.

Batting for the earlier criteria for selection of candidates for the MBBS program, Stalin wrote, "This process had served our State's interests well in the past but had to be discontinued due to the Union Government's introduction of NEET and subsequent changes in Union legislation."

Stalin said that the Tamil Nadu Admission to Under Graduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021 was thereby passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on September 13 based on the recommendations of the Justice AK Rajan Committee.

The Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021, popularly known as the Anti-NEET bill, was supported by all parties, including the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), except for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The bill was introduced after a 19-year-old medical aspirant died by suicide at his home in Salem hours before the NEET exam.

NEET is the all-India level entrance examination for undergraduate medical courses. This year, the exam was held on September 12 across the country.