SC is the forum to remove hindrances of Centre, Guv on NEET issue: DMK

CHENNAI: The ruling DMK on Wednesday declared that the Supreme Court was the right forum to clear the hindrances of the Union government and the Governor and rid the State off NEET.

Penning a strongly-worded editorial titled "NEET – Legal battle again" in the party organ Murasoli, the ruling DMK, which moved the Supreme Court to exempt the State from NEET, said that the Tamil Nadu government has begun the legal battle related to NEET issue in the Supreme Court again.

"The Tamil Nadu has moved a petition with the firm opinion that the Supreme Court is the forum to remove the hindrances caused by the Union government and its representative, the Governor of Tamil Nadu."

Criticising Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi for not acting on the Bill passed by the State Assembly for exempting the State from NEET, the Murasoli editorial said that the Governor, who preaches against procrastination to students, has not acted on the NEET-Exemption Bill for several months.

Reiterating that NEET was antithetical to the federal principles enshrined in the Constitution, the DMK party organ said that the NEET Exemption Bill was conceived with the views of lakhs of people on the basis of Justice A K Rajan committee's recommendation, which was studied by a committee chaired by the Chief Secretary that prepared the draft legislation.

"The legislation was conceived on the views of several lakhs of people. The legislation was prepared by the representatives of crores of people. That an appointed governor has stopped such a legislation is not only against the law, but also the people,” the DMK party organ said.

Remarking that NEET was not a democratic, proper, irregularity-free and equal test, the editorial said that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is a money spinner that fetches Rs 70,000 crore to coaching centers every year.

Calling NEET a backdoor entry for those who pay lakhs after securing a seventh of the marks for medical admission, the DMK said that it is a fraudulent education policy and abolishing the test would only bode well for the future of medical education.