CHENNAI: Upping his ante against the NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) for medical admission, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday said that the BJP-led Union government has admitted to NEET having “zero” benefit by reducing the qualifying percentile to "zero" for NEET PG admission 2023 across all categories.

In a message posted on a micro-blogging site, Stalin likened NEET to the guillotine and said, “The Union BJP Government has accepted that benefit of #NEET is #ZERO! By reducing the NEET PG cut-off to 'zero', they are accepting that 'eligibility' in National 'Eligibility' Cum Entrance Test is meaningless.”

Reiterating that NEET was “just about coaching centers and paying for the exam”, Stalin said, “No more qualification is required. NEET = 0. NEET has nothing to do with merit, which we have been saying all along. It has become a mere formality, devoid of any real eligibility criteria.”

Accusing the Union BJP Govt of remaining heartless despite losing so many precious lives, the CM said that the Union government has now come up with an order like this. “The BJP Govt must be removed just for causing loss of lives with the guillotine called #NEET,” he added.

The Tamil Nadu government, which has been steadfastly opposing the NEET, has already passed Bills twice seeking exemption for the State from NEET.

The latest bill passed by the State Assembly in this regard awaits President Droupadi Murmu’s nod.