TN CM Vijay Opposes NEET at NITI Aayog, Demands MBBS Admissions on Class 12 Marks
The debate over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has been reignited on the national stage. During the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog held in New Delhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay strongly reiterated the state’s longstanding opposition to the centralized medical entrance examination.
Push for Merit Based on Board Exams
Addressing the council chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CM Vijay urged the Central Government to allow Tamil Nadu to fill all state quota seats for MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH courses based solely on Class 12 public examination marks. He argued that the current NEET framework disproportionately disadvantages students hailing from rural backgrounds and socio-economically marginalized families.
According to the Chief Minister, relying on board examination marks would provide a more equitable approach to admissions and help students who face barriers under a single highly competitive national entrance examination framework.
The Argument for National Uniformity
However, the proposal to revert to board examination marks faces significant pushback from medical education experts and advocates of a centralized system. Critics argue that evaluating students based on individual state board results breaks the national uniformity required for a highly competitive field like medicine. Because different state boards vary drastically in their syllabi, grading strictness, and overall difficulty levels, comparing raw marks across different states would create an uneven playing field. From this perspective, NEET serves as an essential, standardized benchmark that maintains a level playing field, ensuring that all medical aspirants nationwide are evaluated under the exact same academic criteria.
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Demands for a Second AIIMS
In addition to his strong stance against NEET, CM Vijay also advocated for the expansion of premier healthcare infrastructure in the state. He formally requested the establishment of a second All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Coimbatore. He assured the Centre that the Tamil Nadu government is fully prepared to provide the necessary land for the proposed medical institute.
