NEET row: Tamil Nadu govt slams centre on grace marks, irregularities, demands abolishing national test

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday slammed the Centre over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admissions to medical courses, saying awarding grace marks was 'unacceptable' as it amounted to fraud.

The growing resentment and protests across the country against holding the NEET only strengthened the DMK’s repeated plea to abolish the screening test, State Health Minister Ma Subramanian said.

“The National Testing Agency has to be blamed for the irregularities and confusion arising due to the conduct of the test, especially awarding grace marks. What was the basis for granting grace marks and has this decision been communicated to the NEET aspirants?” Subramanian asked.

The irregularities and confusion have only caused mental agony to 23 lakh candidates who appeared for the test, he told reporters here and claimed that none from Tamil Nadu were given grace marks.

Earlier in the day, the Centre informed the Supreme Court the decision to give grace marks to 1,563 NEET-UG 2024 candidates for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses has been cancelled and that they will be given an option to appear for re-test on June 23.

“The call to scrap NEET is now being heard all over India and the DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin had been insisting on doing away with the test. The union government should come forward to abolish NEET exam at least now,” Subramanian said.

The Health Minister accused former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami of allowing NEET into the state despite his party supremo and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa opposing it.

Demanding justice for the aspirants, Subramanian said NEET has denied many students, especially those with rural background and economically weaker, an opportunity to access medical education.