LS Polls: NEET gets its space in both ‘Dravidian’ manifestos
The ruling DMK, which leads the INDIA bloc in the state, has promised to secure exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET if its alliance formed government at the Centre in June 2024.
The DMK has released their candidate list and party manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls 2024 (Justin George)
CHENNAI: The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, better known as NEET and a political flashpoint in the state once, found its due space in the manifestos of both the Dravidian parties.
Both the DMK and AIADMK have renewed their promise to the Tamil Nadu people to do away with the controversial test based on which the medical admissions are currently done in the country.
The ruling DMK, which leads the INDIA bloc in the state, has promised to secure exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET if its alliance formed government at the Centre in June 2024.
Unsurprisingly, principal opposition party AIADMK has also assured that it would make efforts to do away with NEET and facilitate medical admissions based on plus two marks.
The two parties, which promised to do the same in 2019, have been at the receiving end since the last Lok Sabha poll for failing to fulfil their poll promise.
While the DMK made sincere efforts to secure exemption for the state from NEET by passing a Bill in the State Assembly after conducting an elaborate study on the issue (Justice A K Rajan committee recommended) with supporting data, Chief Minister M K Stalin led Dravidian model government fell short owing to the inability to initially get the stamp of approval from the Governor and later the President for whose assent the Bill has forwarded.
This time, the DMK has added a caveat that it would secure exemption in the event of the INDIA bloc forming a government.
"Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had assured way back in 2019 that states would be allowed to take on call on the issue on their own. So, consensus on securing exemption for Tamil Nadu must not be a problem for us. The real issue is enacting a law and passing the legal scrutiny of courts because any legislation or provision granting exemption to Tamil Nadu would be challenged in future. We are confident we would be able to do it after unseating the BJP regime, " explained a DMK senior on condition of anonymity.
Though both parties have promised the same, the real test of their political will would be in achieving consensus in Delhi and a legal safeguard for the same.
