The high-level committee, that studied the impact of NEET on the students in Tamil Nadu, has on Wednesday submitted its final report with the recommendations to the state government. The committee, which is the first such panel in the state, was formed last month by the DMK government and is headed by retired High Court judge Justice AK Rajan. It has submitted its 165-page report to Chief Minister MK Stalin at the secretariat on Wednesday. 

The submission of the final report has come a day after the Madras High Court has given a go-ahead for the committee by dismissing the petition filed by Tamil Nadu BJP General Secretary Karu Nagarajan in which he sought a directive from the court to repeal the committee. MK Stalin has welcomed the court's judgment and said it is a big blow to the BJP and ADMK. As the committee has submitted its report over NEET, the state is surfaced with the expectations over what's the future of the national entrance exam in the state. 

After submitting the final report, Justice AK Rajan has addressed the reporters during which he revealed that most of the people in the state are against the NEET. He said, "Most of the people in the state who have shared their opinions to the committee had said that the NEET is not needed for Tamil Nadu on various counts. We have placed certain recommendations to the government and we can't share them with the media now. There are many issues like social justice, economic, and legal issues. We have disclosed a detailed report on the impact of the NEET on various corridors." 

What's the next step? MK Stalin-led DMK government will analyze the report from the committee and based on that, the government will be proposing and adopting a resolution in the state legislative assembly seeking exemption for Tamil Nadu from the NEET. After passing the resolution, the state government will be forwarding it to the Union government and the President to earn the tag of NEET exemption in Tamil Nadu.  

It has been reported that the state government would also initiate a legal drive to guard its stand on the NEET. The DMK government has on last month formed the panel and the government has said, "The committee will study whether the common medical entrance test (NEET) has affected the socially backward students in the past few years. If it has affected them, then the committee will suggest alternate admission procedures for the benefit of all students and possibilities for implementing these admission procedures and legal avenues. Educationists and officials also will be part of this high-level committee".

Legal battle: 

While most of the parties had welcomed the formation of the committee to study the impact of the NEET, the BJP has slammed the DMK for establishing the committee and moved the petition to the High Court in its bid to ban the committee. However, the High Court has given a big blow to the BJP by dismissing its petition against the committee. 

The court has on Tuesday said that the appointment of the panel is not an act of defiance to any order passed by the Supreme Court and said that it does not pose a challenge to the rights of the Union government to fix a standard of higher education.  According to Bar and Bench, the high court bench has said, "Setting up of the commission does not amount to subverting any process of admission, far less an act of defiance to any order passed by the Supreme Court or even the remotest challenge to the authority of the Union."  

The high court bench further said, "The issuance of the notification does not exceed the authority of the state government. As long as the state government does not do anything to upset the procedure for admission to medical institutions as established by law, it does not call for any interference." The high court asked, "How does the notification run contrary to the Supreme Court? They are not interfering with admission They have set up a commission, it will act on terms of reference and submit a report. It does not touch on the Supreme Court order." 

What MK Stalin had to say after the judgment?

As the panel has got a legal victory, Chief Minister MK Stalin has on Tuesday welcomed the judgment and called it a blow to BJP and ADMK. He said that the government would take the next steps against the NEET after the AK Rajan committee submits its report. He further said, "The students are in a situation to face the examination this year as the date of NEET has been issued. It is regrettable. However, we will definitely put a full stop to the NEET." 

He further said, "We have been opposing NEET, which ruins the dreams of Tamil Nadu students in pursuing medical studies, ever since it was implemented. After DMK has come to power, a committee was formed under retired Justice AK Rajan to inquire about the impact of the NEET. This committee was established to study and analyze how the NEET had impacted the students on the academic, economic, and social corridors. The committee has received around 86,000 views and opinions and opinions are being studied by the committee and the Tamil Nadu government will take the necessary steps based on the report from the committee." 

Repealing the NEET is one of the poll promises of DMK in the recently-held assembly polls and after taking the power, the government has initiated the drive to abolish the NEET. As the committee has submitted its final report, the government will be progressing towards analyzing the report and adopting a resolution against the national entrance exam. It must be noted that the Union government has announced the exam dates for NEET UG and PG examinations. As per the announcement, NEET UG and PG 2021 will be conducted on September 12 and 11 respectively.