DMK Rajya Sabha member P Wilson on Tuesday urged the central government to either abolish the NEET medical entrance exam or approve Tamil Nadu’s NEET exemption Bill, which seeks to exclude the state from the competitive exam. His appeal came amid a controversy over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admissions to medical courses.

During the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha, Wilson emphasized that the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly had passed the Tamil Nadu Admission to Medical Courses Bill in 2021. This bill, along with a subsequent unanimous resolution, was aimed at addressing the “NEET menace.” However, the Bill has been pending the Centre’s assent for nearly three years, causing significant anxiety among students and parents.

Wilson stressed the need for the Prime Minister’s immediate attention to either approve the Bill passed by the state government or bring out amendments to the National Medical Commission Act to abolish NEET at the national level. He highlighted that the NEET-UG 2024 exam, taken by approximately 23.33 lakh students, faced allegations of irregularities, including a question paper leak. These allegations led to court cases, including in the Supreme Court, and an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI filed an FIR on June 23 regarding the alleged irregularities in the exam held on May 5, following a reference from the Union education ministry.

Wilson criticized the delay in ordering the CBI probe, suggesting that this might have allowed “fraudsters” to tamper with documents and erase evidence. He also raised concerns about the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) handling of competitive exams, including NEET. Wilson pointed out that the NTA, which handles crucial national-level tests, is registered under the Societies Registration Act “like any other flat owner or housing society.” He noted that despite passing 427 Bills in the Lok Sabha and 365 Bills in the Rajya Sabha from 2014 to 2024, the Union government had not introduced legislation to provide statutory backing to the NTA, potentially shielding the agency from accountability.

The DMK has long opposed NEET, having secured a stay from the Madras High Court on its implementation when it was first introduced in 2010 through regulations. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK supremo M K Stalin, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding NEET exemption for the state, reiterated that the legislative assembly had passed a Bill unanimously to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET and provide medical admissions based on 12th standard marks. He expressed frustration that the Bill, sent for Presidential assent, was still pending and argued that the recent irregularities in the NEET exam validated the state’s opposition to the exam.

Overall, the DMK’s demand in the Rajya Sabha reflects ongoing concerns about the fairness and impact of NEET on students in Tamil Nadu, with calls for either the abolition of the exam or the approval of the state’s exemption Bill to address these issues.

Also read: Tamil Nadu: NEET exceptionalism