The Tamil Nadu government has created a public poll for students asking for an opinion on how NEET-based UG admissions have affected them in the past year. On Thursday, the government announced that they have created an expert committee to study the opinion of students. According to the official advertisement from the government, students can write down their opinion in not more than five pages and email it to neetimpact2021@gmail.com by June 23, 2021. Students can also send their opinions by post to the committee or put their opinions in a dropbox at the committee office, which is located on the campus of the Director of Medical Education in Tamil Nadu.
The state government has set up a committee chaired by Madras High Court judge Justice AK Rajan. The committee also comprises eight other members. The committee has been entrusted with the responsibility to study the opinions submitted by students. While this year's NEET UG exam is set to be held on August 1, 2021, there are indications that the exam may be further postponed due to the pandemic. As per reports, the Tamil Nadu government has urged the Centre for providing exemption to the state from the NEET UG exam for admission to medical and dental courses.
Tamil Nadu's DMK government as well as the leading opposition AIADMK are reportedly on similar terms regarding the conduct of the NEET exam. TN Chief Minister MK Stalin is also set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to discuss the matter of NEET-UG 2021. The Tamil Nadu government has claimed that NEET based admissions are against social justice as marginalised and rural students are discriminated against and do not get through the entrance test.
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On the other hand, defending the NEET exam, senior academic and former Anna University Vice-Chancellor E Balagurusamy said on Wednesday that Tamil Nadu is unlikely to get exemption from NEET and therefore aspirants must start preparing for the competitive examination this year. Further defending the exam, he contended that "false propaganda and assurances of some political leaders" discouraged and demotivated students. Holding on to the hope that the state would be exempted from NEET is nothing but "misplaced confidence", said the former VC and added that the test has been mandated by the Supreme Court. "If at all, any State wants exemption, it should be approved by the Union Government and accepted by the Supreme Court. This is very unlikely to happen. Therefore, NEET will be there to stay," he told a prominent daily in Chennai.
