Scrap NEET, Use Class 12 Marks for Medical Admissions: Tamil Nadu asks Nandan Nilekani Panel

Chennai: Reiterating its opposition to NEET, the Tamil Nadu Government has asked for scrapping the national-level entrance examination and similar tests for admission to medical and other higher education courses and has instead suggested that admissions should be based on Class 12 marks.

The state government conveyed this position during a meeting between Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of the High-Powered Task Force (HPTF) on examination reforms, at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

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.

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PTI reported that the government also highlighted that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution opposing NEET on August 11, 2026. Reaffirming its position, the state urged the panel to recommend the abolition of NEET and similar examinations for admission to medical and other courses.

The meeting was attended by other members of the task force, including IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti, former Union Education Secretary Anita Karwal and EkStep Foundation CEO Shankar Maruwada.

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.

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