Tamil Nadu: Govt seeks Public opinion to study impact of NEET, CM Meets PM Modi demanding scrapping off test

"Public opinion is invited and the same may be sent in not exceeding 5 pages on or before 23-6-2021 either by email or post or may drop in the box kept at the committee office in Director of Medical Education campus," read the advertisement. The email ID to send suggestions is neetimpact2021@gmail.com.

This comes after the Government recently formed a high-level panel to study the impact of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, NEET on aspirants in Tamil Nadu, especially those belonging to the rural areas, and socially disadvantaged sections.

Also Read: Govt Panel to Study Impact of NEET 2021 on aspirants in Tamil Nadu

It was decided that the eight-member committee led by a retired judge of Madras High Court, A K Rajan would study the impact of the screening test required for medical admissions on the students and submit its recommendations within a month.

Apart from Justice Rajan, who heads the panel, eight other members of the panel included 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 was formed to 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 had earlier said.

Almost all parties including the ruling DMK and the 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.

Medical Dialogues had recently reported that recently Chief Minister M K Stalin urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cancel NEET as well as other all-national level tests and allow Tamil Nadu to fill professional seats, including the MBBS, based on class 12 marks.

Moreover, AIADMK top leader O Panneerselvam backed the DMK government's position and urged Prime Minister to abolish the tests. One of the grounds for their opposition is that such tests went against social justice and denied opportunities to students from socially disadvantaged groups and aspirants from rural regions. NEET continues to be one of the much politically debated issues in Tamil Nadu.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu Demands cancellation of NEET 2021

As per the latest media report by NDTV.com, the State Government has now asked for public opinion regarding the matter and requested everyone to send the same to the email id- neetimpact2021@gmail.com.

India TV adds that recently, on Thursday, the Chief Minister Stalin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and raised several issues including the demand for scrapping off the NEET.

While commenting on the matter, he told the daily, "Issues like withdrawal of 3 agricultural laws, scrapping of NEET and New Education Policy, early commencement of vaccine production of Chengalpattu complex, and revival of Sethusamudram project were also raised by me during the meeting with PM Modi."

"He also assured me that I can contact him at any time regarding the issues of Tamil Nadu," Stalin added.