CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday batted for shifting education to the state list of the Constitution from the concurrent list.
In his Independence Day address, Stalin announced that approximately 55,000 vacancies would be filled in various government departments. Stalin delivered his Independence Day address from Fort St George here, the seat of power, after unfurling the national flag.
He said all subjects that have a direct connection to people should be brought under Constitution's state list, in particular education.
Only if education is moved to the state list of the Constitution, qualifying examination methods like the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) could be completely scrapped, the chief minister noted.
Following the deaths by suicide of a teen, a medical course aspirant, and his father over alleged NEET-related stress, Stalin on Monday urged President Droupadi Murmu to immediately give her assent to a state Bill that seeks to exempt Tamil Nadu from the ambit of the qualifying test.
CM Stalin on Tuesday expressed his grief over the deaths and urged students not to resort to such extreme steps. "The NEET which stands as a stumbling block to your progress can definitely be removed. The Tamil Nadu government has been engaged in legal steps for that," he had said.
Earlier this week, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi created another controversy by claiming that he would "never give clearance" for the "anti-NEET Bill" during a felicitation function held for NEET achievers on August 12. However, following criticism from the elected DMK government, Ravi backtracked his statement and said that the Bill has been under the consideration of the President and that she alone is the competent authority to decide on the Bill.
The Tamil Nadu CM had lashed out at Ravi for his recent remarks on NEET and promised that "the NEET wall will collapse" and those who "refused" assent to the bill will "vanish."
(With inputs from PTI, ENS)
***Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on TN’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050