Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has sought an explanation from the Centre as to why the Assembly resolution on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Neet) has not been accorded the Presidential assent.
Averring that the State government is in touch with the Centre on the issue, Health Minister Dr C. Vijayabaskar informed the Assembly on Thursday that the President has “withheld the bills.”
Minutes after winning the confidence motion in the Assembly in February last year, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had said the two bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly seeking exemption for the State from the Supreme Court-mandated common medical entrance for MBBS and post-graduate courses have been sent to the President for approval. Then Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao had approved the bills. Dr. Vijayabaskar had on January 31 last year, moved the bills, seeking to exclude Tamil Nadu from (NEET) for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses.
Responding to the issue raised by DMK working president and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly M.K. Stalin, the Minister replied that the government sought to know the reasons from the Centre, though the government was ready to face the issue legally.
While raising the issue, Mr. Stalin lashed out at the Centre for ‘thrusting’ the national test by disrespecting the State’s rights and said this shattered the dreams of poor and rural students of becoming doctors. Demanding to know the status on the Assembly bills, he urged the Tamil Nadu government to approach the court to get the President’s assent for the Assembly Bills, if the Centre had put them in cold storage.
