Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi reaffirmed his stance against the anti-NEET bill approved by the state Assembly during an event on Saturday, 12 August 2023. He emphasized that he would never provide his consent to the legislation, which is currently awaiting review by the President.
Addressing a group of students who had successfully cleared the NEET exam along with their parents, the Governor, having previously returned The Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Act, 2021 to the Assembly, only to have it sent back to him, expressed that the NEET examination was not going away.
In response to a query posed by A Ramasamy, whose daughter had passed the NEET and was present at the interaction with the Governor Ravi shared, “I will be the last person to grant approval. Never, under any circumstances. I am not willing for my children to feel intellectually inadequate. I want our youth to compete and excel. They have demonstrated this.”
Ramaswamy sought information from Ravi about when he intended to endorse the anti-NEET Bill. In reply, the Governor openly stated, “I am being completely candid. I will never provide approval for the NEET (exemption) Bill.” The parents continued to assert that medical professionals in Tamil Nadu had achieved significant milestones even before the nationwide examination was introduced.
The topic of NEET has provoked substantial debate in Tamil Nadu. The DMK-led government successfully passed the Bill in 2021; however, Ravi declined his approval in February 2022. Consequently, the legislation was re-approved and returned to him. The Bill currently awaits consideration by President Droupadi Murmu.
During the interaction held on Saturday, the Governor strongly advocated for the importance of the NEET exam. He emphasized that accomplishments achieved without the exam would not suffice for future endeavors. He criticized the spread of a misconception that only those who receive specialized coaching can succeed in the medical entrance examination.
Regarding the status of the NEET exemption bill, the Governor noted, “In any case, it has been forwarded to the President due to its placement in the Concurrent List, a domain exclusively within the President’s jurisdiction for approval.” He also highlighted that the CBSE book recommended for preparation was a recognized standard, urging individuals not to criticize the standard itself if the outcomes were subpar, but rather to strive for improvement.
The Governor’s statements are poised to escalate his ongoing disagreement with the government on this matter and other related issues.
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