TAMIL NADU VS NEET
INITIAL WORRY
The proposal to hold a single national entrance exam for medical seats was in the works for some time. In 2013, when the UPA regime wanted to hold NEET for MBBS and postgraduate courses, the then TN CM Jayalalithaa had opposed it. She wrote to the then PM Manmohan Singh saying NEET implementation would affect social justice.
IN THE COURT
TN was also a party to petitions filed before the Supreme Court on NEET. Subsequently, a three-member bench quashed the Medical Council of India notification for holding NEET. The DMK, an ally of Congress during UPA regime, had also opposed NEET
REASONS TN OPPOSED NEET
The state has the third largest number of medical seats (3,534) spread over 33 medical colleges, including 22 government colleges. The worry was that a national exam would mean merit alone rather than social justice would impact who will get seats. Also, fear was that non-tn aspirants could grab a bulk of the state’s seats
NO BENEFITS?
TN directorate of medical education department sources say over the past six years, five government medical colleges have been established at Sivagangai, Thiruvannamalai, Omandurar Government Estate, Chennai and ESIC Hospital, Coimbatore and Pudukottai, resulting in an increase of 1,000 additional MBBS seats at a cost of ₹3,000 crore. While the addition was being done by TN govt at huge expense, they felt it would not benefit the state’s students.