Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) Founder and top Tamil star Vijay today, Wednesday, July 3, spoke out against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), and extended his support to the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly against the central qualifying test, seeking an exemption to the southern state, PTI reported.

Addressing students at an event organised by him to honour rank holders of Classes X and XII, the actor-politician also said education should be brought to the State List. He further claimed students in Tamil Nadu, especially the poor, those from backward and very backward classes in the rural areas have been "badly affected" in their pursuit of medical education following the introduction of the NEET.

NEET was also against states' rights as education was moved to the concurrent list in 1975, he remarked wondering how a student who had studied in a state syllabus and the local language could do well in the central test, based on the "NCERT" (National Council of Educational Research and Training) curriculum. He indicated there cannot be "one nation, one curriculum".

"Curriculum should be state-specific. It should give importance to different perspectives. Diversity is a strength, not a weakness. After studying in state language and syllabus and exam based on NCERT, how is it fair? think about the rural students, how difficult it is for them," he said.

Speaking about irregularities, he said, "We have seen some reports of irregularities in NEET. After this, its credibility has gone. We have understood that NEET is no more required. The solution is an exemption (to TN from the test). I wholeheartedly support the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution seeking exemption for the state. He said without much delay, the Centre "should respect TN people's sentiments," on NEET.

The permanent solution would be to move education from the Concurrent list to the State list and if there was any "difficulty" in this, "a special Concurrent List could be created and include Education and Health in it", following a Constitutional amendment, he said, PTI reported.

All major political parties, including the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), have been opposed to NEET. Assembly resolutions seeking NEET exemption to Tamil Nadu have been passed in the state Assembly during the current DMK regime as well as the previous AIADMK government.