CM announces all-party meet on January 8 to discuss NEET Slams Shah For Not Meeting The All-Party Delegation

 

CM announces all-party meet on January 8 to discuss NEET

Slams Shah For Not Meeting The All-Party Delegation

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

07.01.2022

Chennai:As governor R N Ravi has not sent the NEET Bill to President Ram Nath Kovind and Union home minister Amit Shah refused to meet an all-party delegation of MPs, chief minister M K Stalin said on Thursday, a meeting of legislature parties will take place on January 8 to decide the next course of action in the fight to get exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET. The main opposition AIADMK extended its support for a “joint struggle” against the entrance examinations for admission to medical and dental courses.

Making a suo motu statement in the assembly, the chief minister said the struggle for social justice and against NEET would continue based on the outcome of the meeting. The Union government snatched away the rights of the state governments in deciding admission of students to medical colleges though colleges are being funded by the state government from the state funds. NEET benefited only those students who had access to undergo training for entrance examinations. It rendered school education system meaningless, he said.

“These actions not only shatter the dreams of the students but undermine the federal principles. We cannot remain spectators. We cannot remain indifferent to the fu- ture of our students being ruined,” the CM said, recalling the unanimous passage of the NEET Bill in September and his meeting with the governor in November to get assent to the Bill. The previous DMK regime had scrapped entrance test for professional courses in 2007.

The chief minister said that a delegation of MPs from all parties led by DMK parliamentary party leader T R Baalu presented a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind’s secretariat on December 28, explaining the delay in getting assent to the Bill. The memorandum was forwarded to the Union home ministry for action on the same day. “Following this, an appointment was sought from the Union home minister by an all-party delegation of MPs, but the minister is refusing to meet the delegation. Refusing to meet elected members is against the ethos of democracy,” the CM said. The representation that was to be handed over to the minister was submitted to his office on Wednesday.

AIADMK member Vaithilingam raised doubts about the government’s efforts given that the NEET Bill passed by the previous AIADMK government did not get assent. Hence, the previous government enacted a legislation to provide horizontal reservation of 7. 5% for government school students that helped 435 students pursue medical education. “We extend 100% support to the fight for getting NEET exemption. We are ready to protest with you. But is it possible?” Vaithilingam urged the government to train students to face the entrance test and not ruin the future of students.