NEET exam: Tamil Nadu govt to fight legally for exemption

Escalating its fight against the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to pursue all legal options to secure an exemption from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

The move comes after President Droupadi Murmu declined assent to the state’s NEET exemption bill.

The ruling DMK, which has long opposed the exam, will now push for an early hearing in the Supreme Court. A related case has been pending there since 2023. The state also plans to file a fresh petition in the apex court.

Also Read: TN panel bats for 'eliminating' NEET, wants Plus 2 as sole criteria for medical admission

What happened at all-party meeting

At a crucial all-party meeting on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin announced that the President had rejected the bill, which was passed twice by the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The meeting saw near-unanimous support from political parties, including the Congress, PMK, VCK, and Left parties — to continue the legal and political battle against NEET.

'Karunanidhi also opposed NEET'

Chief Minister MK Stalin reiterated the DMK’s hard stance against NEET, recalling that the party, under former CM M Karunanidhi, had resisted the exam since its introduction. He argued that NEET disproportionately favours affluent, urban students, leaving behind rural and economically poor students.

Stalin slams Governor

Stalin also slammed Governor RN Ravi for delaying the bill’s referral to the President, accusing him of "playing politics" on the issue.

''I had personally requested the Governor regarding the same. The Bill may have been rejected, but I believe we will get NEET exemption if we continue to fight legally. We have to fight this in Parliament and initiate state-wide protests to oppose NEET," said Stalin.

AIADMK, BJP, TVK boycott meet

Interestingly, the AIADMK and BJP have boycotted the meeting, dismissing it as a political stunt. AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami termed the discussion "pointless," while Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai accused the DMK of hypocrisy.

Annamalai claimed that NEET had actually helped government school students secure medical admissions and alleged that the DMK’s opposition was driven by vested interests in private medical colleges linked to party members. "If the DMK is serious about NEET exemption, why did they wait four years to approach the Supreme Court?" he questioned.

Also Read: Chennai: Delimitation meet wants 25 years freeze; who spoke what

DMK's excuses, says Vijay

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay asked DMK to aplogise for making false promises of NEET exemption during their 2021 election campaign.

"DMK has given the excuse that NEET comes under the jurisdiction of the Union Government. After four years of being in power, they again use NEET as a political card, stating that the struggle is not yet over. The party is diverting real issues and asking for advice to seek NEET exemption in all-party meetings. People will give a befitting reply to the party in the 2026 elections," Vijay said in a statement.