CHENNAI: A PIL has been filed in the Madras High Court for a directive to the State Health department and the Union Ministry of Human Resources to obtain the assent of the President of India to the Tamil Nadu Government’s Bills for exempting its State Board students from the applicability of NEET for admission in medical courses in 2017-18. When the PIL came up for hearing on Monday, the division Bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and N Seshasayee adjourned the hearing on the matter till July 28.
In his PIL, the general secretary, State Platform for Common School System, PB Prince Gajendra Babu submitted that the Tamil Nadu Government had passed the TN Admission to MBBS and BDS Courses Act and the TN Admission to Post Graduate Courses in Medicine and Dentistry Act. The two Bills, after the Governor’s approval, were sent as early as in February 2017 to the Centre for obtaining the President’s assent. However, responding to a letter from TK Rengarajan, an MP, the President’s office stated that no such Bills had been received from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Stating that urban as well as rural poor had no access, time and resources for intensive coaching to face the exams like NEET, petitioner said for lack of access and equality in opportunities, deserving, intelligent and meritorious students in the State were kept out of the race.