Tamil Nadu's TVK bats for 'abolition of NEET' but CM Vijay maintains silence over Delhi protest
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Tamil Nadu's TVK bats for 'abolition of NEET' but CM Vijay maintains silence over Delhi protest")
A combination image of Tamil Nadu CM Vijay and NEET protest in Delhi
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay’s TVK demanded the complete abolition of NEET and greater state control over education, including medical education. The party also called for education to be shifted to the State List.
As newly elected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay faced criticism for not issuing a statement on the NEET paper leak and subsequent protest, his party - the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) called for scrapping of the examination altogether. The party also demanded greater powers for states over medical education, insisting that education should be shifted from the Concurrent List to the State List of the Constitution. This comes even as Vijay has not issued any statement on student protests over the NEET exam in Delhi.
Does TVK's statement reflect Vijay's position?
TVK, in a statement, said that its "uncompromising and firm stand" was that the national-level entrance test for medical aspirants should be scrapped altogether. Batting for structural reforms in the education sector, the party said that states should have full authority over matters relating to education, including medical education. If an immediate transfer of powers is not legally feasible, it proposed an interim arrangement. Though the statement does not directly quotes Vijay, it says, “Our victorious leader (Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay) has already emphasised this,” with refence to medical studies being shifted to state list.
Vijay's silence over the matter has prompted critics to point out that former CM MK Stalin had consistently opposed the NEET examination for over nine years. Vijay has not issued any statement on the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest over the NEET paper leak or on its demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. Despite this, fake videos were circulated online claiming that he secretly visited the CJP protest site at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Tamil Nadu has also reported NEET-related suicides since 2017. According to state government data, at least 26 such deaths were reported in the state between 2017 and 2024, either due to fear of failure, alleged irregularities or pressure to perform well in the exam.
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Protest outside Tamil Nadu Secretariat
This also comes a day after a famous rapper ‘Therukural’ Arivu staged a protest outside the Tamil Nadu Secretariat. The rapper along with other protestors gathered without authorisation near a high-security zone and were later taken into preventive custody. A senior police official from Chennai Police said that it was done “to maintain public order and clear the area.” According to news agency PTI, the rapper was later allowed to meet State Minister for Public Works and Sports Development, Aadhav Arjuna and CM Vijay. Though, no statement of his meeting with Vijay was shared online, videos showed him being escorted inside the government office by a group of people. Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin publicly condemned the detention, accusing the TVK administration of trying to silence dissent.
