The Centre has said it would support Tamil Nadu's ordinance to exempt NEET this year
The students of Tamil Nadu who have passed NEET, the all-India medical entrance test, plan to take on the government's move to scrap this year's exams and introduce it from next year. And senior advocate Nalini Chidambaram -- the wife of former Union Minister P Chidambaram - who is representing them, said the state and the Centre had entered a deal to cancel this year's exam ahead of the presidential elections.
"NEET exemption is a quid pro quo for AIADMK's support in presidential and Vice Presidential elections," said Ms Chidambaram. Any ordinance to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET will be challenged in court, she said. Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK had supported the BJP candidates in both Presidential and vice presidential elections held recently.
The state contends that the all-India exam does not provide a level ground for rural students, who don't have the money to get specially coached for it. A decade ago, it had abolished entrance exams and opted for a process based on Plus-Two board exams.
The AIADMK government decided to bring in an ordinance after the Supreme Court cancelled its order to reserve 85 per cent seats for the state board students. With the state's plans to by-pass NEET, the Madras High Court put a freeze on the admissions process this year.
Yesterday, the Centre said it would support the state's ordinance to exempt it this year from the exam, which had been in effect across India since last year. Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitaraman said, "If the state government promulgates an ordinance asking for exception for NEET this year, the Centre is ready to agree with that demand."
The state government presented the draft ordinance to the Centre today and asked for help in hastening the process of approval from the President.
Ms Chidambaram, however, said prior presidential assent is a must for an Ordinance. "No presidential assent has been availed in the matter yet," she said. The Tamil Nadu government, she said, had ample time to prepare the student and provide them with coaching. "The state government is to be blamed if students of rural areas don't fare well, because the law was settled in 2016," she added.