Member of Parliament and DMK leader TR Baalu has written to Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to direct the Governor of Tamil Nadu to sign off on the 7.5 percent NEET quota in medical seats for government school students. He states that any further delay in assenting the Bill would be detrimental to the future of government school students who are aspiring to pursue medical education.
“It is likely that the objectives of the bill will be rendered infructuous as far as this academic year is concerned. Because of this reason and on the advise of DMK President MK Stalin, I appeal to the Home Minister to kindly direct the Governor of Tamil Nadu to give assent immediately to the ‘Tamil Nadu admissions to UG courses in medicines, dentistry, Indian Medicine and Homeopathy on preferential basis to the students of the Government Schools Bill, 2020’ and help fulfil the dream of government school students in pursuing medicine as their profession in this academic year itself,” he urged Shah.
He reminded the Minister that the ‘DMK had been demanding the scrapping of NEET completely, which acts as a hindrance for rural and urban poor students to pursue their dreams.’ He said in his letter that a committee was formed headed by former judge Kalairasan by the government to analyse the impact of NEET on government school students which had decided that priority must be given to government school students as it ‘would be a righteous act to bring equality between government and private school students.’
“Based on this decision, it was decided that government school students should be provided a horizontal reservation of 7.5 percent in NEET examination for government school students who passed in September 2020 unanimously in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the Governor. When MK Stalin wrote to the Governor, he replied stating that he would need another three to four weeks to decide on the bill - after holding back this very important Bill for about 40 days,” he added. Adding that, now that the counselling dates for medical admissions have been announced and the process has commenced, further negatively affecting the students.
