NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs is set to examine on Tuesday two key bills passed by Tamil Nadu assembly to find a way around the Central government’s National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for enrolment of students for medical and dental courses. The two Bills- Tamil Nadu Admissions to Post Graduate Courses in Medicine and Dentistry Bill, 2017 and the Tamil Nadu Admissions to MBBS and BDS Courses Bill, 2017 was unanimously cleared by the state legislative assembly in February 2017 and since then state government has been requesting Modi Sarkar for expeditious Presidential assent. According to top sources in the Home Ministry both the bills under file numbers-17/05/2017 and 17/06/2017 were received on February 20, 2017.
“As far as current status is concerned, it is most likely pending with the state government. The meeting especially called to review bills from Southern States will be chaired by additional secretary level officer with the stakeholders and senior officers of the Central Ministries,” Sources said.
In April 2017, Chief Minister E.K.Palaniswami had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking Presidential assent for two bills. The Chief Minister had argued that the two bills aimed to protect the existing admission policy for under graduate and post graduate admissions in government medical and dental colleges.
The Home Ministry will also take up to review the Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2014, that was cleared by the state assembly in 2014. The file “17/21/2014” was received in the Home Ministry on September 11, 2017. According to Home Ministry sources the file was subsequently returned to the state government with certain queries. The amendment was moved to empower the state government to remove the Vice Chancellors of Universities and ensure application of Tamil Nadu Civil Services and government servants' conduct rules to teachers and other employees of the university.
Sources said the Home Ministry will also review another state bill- Tamil Nadu Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and determination of fee) Bill, 2006. The file- 17/32/2006 was first received in the Home Ministry on September 27 2006, however, the fate of bill has been hanging fire for almost over a decade. The bill was aimed to streamline admission process and fee structure in the professional courses. Besides, the Ministry may also examine Tamil Nadu second amendment bill 2014 for land acquisition that was first received by the Centre in December 2014.
The Centre will also review the ‘Dentist (Andhra Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2017. The bill cleared by state assembly in March is ending with Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. At least 8 bills from Karnataka will be reviewed on Tuesday. On top of the agenda is ‘Karnataka Good Samaritan and Medical Professional (Protection and Regulation During Emergency Situation) Bill, 2016 that is pending with the Ministry of Health.
Karnataka had become the first state in the country that drafted and cleared a legislation to insulate people who rescue accident victims from legal hassles. The file -17/10/2017 was received by the Home Ministry for Presidential assent on March 9 2017.
The Home Ministry will also take up another bill from Karnataka that was passed in by state assembly in August 2014 to amend ‘Goonda Act’ brining sexual offences in the original act. The Karnataka Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug-offenders, Gamblers, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Slum-Grabbers and Video or Audio Pirates (Amendment) Bill, 2014 allows the law enforcement agencies to arrest an accuse without a warrant. The bill first received by the Home Ministry for Presidential assent in November 2014 is at present pending with the state government.
Other Bills From Southern States Pending For President’s Assent To Be Reviewed By MHA On Tuesday
1. Karnataka: (i) The Right of Children to free and compulsory Education (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2015
(ii) The Karnataka Transgenie And Genetically Modified Cotton Seeds (Fixation of Sale Price and Payment of Compensation) Bill, 2015
(iii) The Karnataka Stamp (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015
(iv)The Minimum Wages (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017
2. Kerala: (i) The Commonwealth Trust Kozhikode (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) Bill, 2012
(ii) The Malayalam Language (Dissemination and Enrichment) Bill, 2015
(iii) The Minimum Wages (Kerala Amendment) Bill, 2017
(iv) The Industrial Disputes (Kerala Amendment) Bill, 2017
3. Andhra Pradesh: (i) The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Duty Bill, 2015
(ii) The Registration (Andhra Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2016
(iii) The Dentist (Andhra Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2017
(iv) Andhra Pradesh Amendment ordinance 2017 on Land Acqusition