Stalin calls for all-party meeting after Murmu rejects NEET exemption plea

The call for meeting comes amid multiple controversies surrounding NEET in recent years, which include young people taking their lives if they are unable to clear the exam.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK supremo M K Stalin has called for an all-party meeting on April 9 with all the MLAs at the Secretariat. This comes after the Central government rejected Tamil Nadu’s plea to exempt students from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination.

 

According to a PTI report, he informed the Assembly that the resolution, which was sent for Presidential assent, was declined. He further informed them that the state will continue with its struggle to abolish NEET.

 

Taking to X, Stalin called the rejection a “dark chapter in federalism”, and accused the Central government of disregarding the will of the people of Tamil Nadu and the Assembly bill. He further wrote, “Despite the Tamil Nadu government furnishing all necessary clarifications through various ministries, the Union government has now rejected the exemption from NEET.”

 

Background of the controversy

In June 2024, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution unanimously, asking the central government to scrap NEET and let states decide admission based on school marks. 

According to an NDTV report, the primary argument is that the NEET exam benefits students from richer families, since they can afford coaching and intensive prep needed to clear the exam. Using Class 12 marks as the admission criteria will ensure social justice, the state government argued.

 

This comes amid multiple controversies surrounding NEET in recent years, which include young people taking their lives if they are unable to clear the exam.

 

In 2024, the Supreme Court heard several petitions seeking a re-test or cancellation of the 2024 NEET-UG exam, after claims of the question paper’s leak before the exam were made. The petitions were, however, dismissed by the apex court, which noted that it has not been proved the sanctity of the examination was breached.

 

In July last year, West Bengal also joined the battle and passed a resolution against the examination. Bratya Basu, the state’s education minister, noted that the state government led by the ruling Trinamool Congress has never been in favour of an all-Indian examination.