CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Union government to immediately withdraw the decision mandating appearance in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to Bachelor of Physiotherapy (B.PT) and Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (B.OT) courses.
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In his letter, the Chief Minister termed the move by the National Commission for Allied and Health Care Professions (NCAHP) as "hasty and ad hoc" and warned that it would have serious adverse consequences, particularly for students from economically weaker sections.
He said the decision should be reviewed urgently and dropped without delay. Reiterating Tamil Nadu's consistent opposition to NEET for MBBS admissions, Stalin said the State had repeatedly cautioned against extending the examination to other courses.
He expressed concern that prescribing NEET for these two programmes was the first step towards making it mandatory for all Allied and Health Care Courses (AHCs), a move taken without consulting State Governments, despite health and education being constitutionally under their jurisdiction.
Stalin pointed out that Tamil Nadu alone has more than 50,000 seats in allied and health care courses, with most aspirants coming from poorer socio-economic backgrounds. Compelling such students to spend on NEET coaching would amount to gross injustice, he said.
Questioning the academic rationale of prescribing mere appearance in NEET as a qualification, the Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister's personal intervention to instruct the NCAHP to withdraw the mandate immediately.