AIADMK MP calls NEET 'unconstitutional', claims exam is against interests of rural students

New Delhi: The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Examination (NEET) is only helping rich students and is against the interest of rural students by depriving them of their fundamental rights, AIADMK MP K Kamaraj said on Tuesday. In a note of dissent submitted on the 109th report of Departmentally Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare on the ‘National Medical Commission Bill, 2017’, the parliamentarian said the NEET was “unconstitutional” and impinged on the federal rights of states. The committee tabled the report in the Parliament on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_4372713” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] “In order to achieve uniformity and desired standards among medical practitioners, the quality of medical education and training must be standardised and improved, not the admissions to medical institutions. “An ideal solution will be the National Licentiate Examination for students graduating from medical institutions, not NEET,” he said. The committee in its report has said that the proposed National Licentiate examination (NLE) in the National Medical Commission Bill will put “undue stress” on students, especially those from backward sections who cannot afford private tuitions. The parliamentary panel has also recommended integrating NLE with the final year MBBS exam. Kamaraj said NEET at the moment was only helping the privileged class as they have the access to standard, urban schools. “NEET is against the interest of rural students and those from poor socio-economic background since they have no means to private coaching centres and high-priced urban and private schools. Even the poor students who are bright are denied the opportunity to study medicine,” he said. The AIADMK MP said the Tamil Nadu government had consistently opposed the introduction of NEET. “I strongly urge the committee to reconsider the earlier recommendation on NEET for admission to medical colleges,” he said. Kamaraj added that if the committee was still desirous of NEET, it should ensure that the NMC Bill has legal provisions leaving the states with an option of making admissions to seats under the state quota to state medical colleges, like the one in vogue in Tamil Nadu in the past, “wherein marks awarded in the school leaving examination were the basis of admission to medical colleges”.