CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday urged the centre’s examination-reform task force headed by Nandan Nilekani to recommend scrapping of NEET and other similar entrance tests for medical and higher education courses, and admit students on the basis of their Class 12 marks.
The demand was conveyed during the panel’s meeting with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat. The High-Powered Task Force has been mandated with recommending reforms in the conduct, security, design and governance of public examinations, including those conducted by the National Testing Agency.
The state cited the resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on August 11, 2026, seeking abolition of NEET for undergraduate medical admissions. The resolution, passed after the TVK-led government assumed office, also urged the centre to bring education back to the State List. All parties except the BJP had supported it.
Task force members V Kamakoti, director of IIT Madras; Anita Karwal, former Union Education Secretary; and Shankar Maruwada, chief executive officer of EkStep, attended the meeting. School Education Minister Rajmohan, Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar and senior government officials were also present. The CM had earlier opposed extending entrance tests to veterinary admissions.
In an August 7 letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vijay sought permission for states to continue admitting students to the Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (BVSc & AH) course based on Class 12 marks or under their own admission policies.
The letter came after the Veterinary Council of India proposal to introduce a common entrance examination or use the NEET-UG 2026 merit list for admissions from 2026-27.
Vijay opposed both options, arguing that the existing system gave rural students, government-school students and those from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections an equal opportunity.