MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government has on Monday passed a bill to seek exemption from the National Eligibility- Entrance Test (NEET). The bill was tabled during the last day of the current assembly session and it has come a day after a 20-year-old medical aspirant has committed suicide in the state, over the fear of failing the national exam. The suicide, which added to the list of deaths of students in connection to the NEET in the state, had dismayed the state to count such incessant incidents.

Abolishing the NEET in Tamil Nadu has been one of the poll promises made by the DMK during the recent assembly elections and four months after coming to power, the DMK regime has on Monday tabled and passed the resolution in the assembly to get an exemption for the state from NEET. The bill has come weeks after a special committee headed by retired Justice AK Rajan, that studied the impact of the NEET, had disclosed its report to the state government in which several participants had said they don't need NEET. Based on the report, the DMK government has said that the bill against the NEET will be formulated and passed in the assembly session. 

Earlier this month, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian has said that the Committee of Secretaries, headed by the Chief Secretary, has suggested the government adopt a law to give exemption to the students in the state from appearing for the NEET in pursuing a medical seat. The AK Rajan committee has said that the rural students had studied in government schools in Tamil medium of instruction. It also has highlighted that nearly 90% of the respondents were against the NEET. The AK Rajan committee has submitted its report on July 14. 

The health minister said that the act will ensure social justice and protect all vulnerable student communities from being discriminated against admission to medical studies. He reiterated that the DMK-led state government has been consistently opposing NEET for admission to medical courses. In the albeit of carrying out a Himalayan task, the DMK government has on Monday passed the bill against the NEET and when the bill was introduced in the assembly, the ADMK and BJP members had staged a walkout after an intense debate Chief Minister MK Stalin and Opposition leader Edappadi Palaniswami. 

The Tamil Nadu government has said that the bill aims to provide admission to undergraduate medical courses not through NEET, but on the basis of the marks obtained in the qualifying examination. This system will be done with the view of ensuring social justice, uphold equality and equal opportunity, protect all vulnerable student communities from being discriminated. The government added that the bill will also enable bringing such students to the mainstream of medical and dental education. 

MK Stalin has said that the ADMK doesn't have any right to voice against the NEET and 13 students had ended this life due to NEET under ADMK's rule and that medical aspirant Anitha had committed suicide during the ADMK's regime. Stalin noted that the NEET has always been an adversary for the rural students and appealed to the opposition parties to support the bill. The Chief Minister has said that the AK Rajan committee has recommended adopting a law to exempt the NEET and it can be forwarded to the Indian President. By citing that the NEET has been exercising a biased educational system, Stalin has affirmed that the DMK has been opposing the national exam. 

Hitting back at the ADMK, Stalin has said that the ADMK has been observing alliance with the BJP and when there was a need for BJP to secure the support and votes from the ADMK for the contentious farm laws and CAA, the ADMK must have conditioned the BJP to exempt Tamil Nadu from the NEET. However, ADMK has failed to do that and when the students had ended their life over NEET, the ADMK has ruled the state by observing a dead silence. After walking out from the assembly, ADMK's Edappadi Palaniswami has said that the party will support the bill for seeking exemption for NEET. 

The former Chief Minister had failed to vote for the bill in the assembly and vowed to support it before the cameras. While addressing the reporters, Palaniswami has said that the DMK government is responsible for the death of medical aspirant Dhanush, who committed suicide on Sunday over the fear of NEET. He added that the ADMK has walked out of the session as the government has failed to present a proper explanation over the demise of Dhanush and claimed that when ADMK had brought the bill against the NEET, DMK didn't extend its support. However, ADMK will now support the DMK's bill of seeking exemption for NEET. 

Though the DMK government has adopted the bill against the NEET, it is less likely that it will hold legal validity. As the next step, the bill will be forwarded to Tamil Nadu Governor and to the President to seek consent for the bill. Following their consent, it will become a law after which Tamil Nadu can enjoy exemption from the national entrance exam. However, it is where the ordeal comes into the picture for the DMK regime and the DMK's trajectory towards repeal the NEET won't be lenient as it will be levied with a Himalayan task of acquiring the consent for repealing exam from the President.

Unless carefully moved, it is less likely that the bill against the NEET will hold more weight as the Supreme Court had already upheld the constitutional validity of uniform entrance examination both at the UG and PG level. The bill could have been passed in the state assembly with a clear majority. However, it must win the floors of the Union government as it enjoys the powers concerning the determination of standards of higher education.

Further moves from the DMK will draw national attention and may give a boost for the states that mulls getting exemption from the NEET. On Sunday, the NEET exam for the current year was held across the country and the aspirants who are going to pursue medical studies next year are in despair over their medical future. Though the DMK has taken a major leap towards repealing the NEET, the Union government and the President hold the key to determine the future of NEET and medical aspirants in Tamil Nadu.