Centralised exams cause paper leaks, says State health minister

CHENNAI: Reaffirming Tamil Nadu's firm opposition to the NEET, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare KG Arunraj on Wednesday said that outsourcing nationwide medical admissions to a single central agency inevitably leads to question paper leaks and undermines state autonomy.

Addressing reporters, Arunraj called for education and medicine to be restored to the state list or placed under a specialised concurrent arrangement as a permanent solution to persistent entrance exam irregularities.

"Conducting a single exam for lakhs of students across India through a centralised body inherently creates vulnerabilities," the Minister said, adding, "the Union government has vast responsibilities; it should allow state governments to manage medical admissions for state-funded institutions"

On the ongoing stir by the students against NEET irregularities, he urged the central government to engage with protesters amicably rather than suppressing peaceful demonstrations.

Addressing seasonal public health, Arunraj noted that Tamil Nadu has recorded 9,000 dengue cases so far in 2026, a marked decline compared to 23,000 in 2024 and 11,000 in 2025.

"However, with doctors reporting localised upticks, the health department has stepped up mosquito eradication drives and requested public assistance in clearing stagnant water," he added.

Aadhav condemns police action on students in Delhi

In a scathing critique of the union government, Tamil Nadu Minister for Public Works and Sports Development, Aadhav Arjuna, has strongly condemned the police crackdown on students and opposition leaders protesting against the NEET paper leak in the national capital.

Terming the action against peaceful demonstrators as a direct "crushing of democracy," the Minister reiterated Tamil Nadu's unwavering stance against the centralised entrance examination.

"The first voice of opposition to NEET echoed from Tamil Nadu, and today, that echo has resonated across the entire nation," he said in his social media "X" platform.

He highlighted that students nationwide are exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest, demanding an end to a system that disempowers state-level education and youth futures.

Condemning the severe police action in New Delhi, the Minister criticised authorities for treating protesting students like "criminals".

He further called out the high-handed detention of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and MP Priyanka Gandhi, who had joined the youth in solidarity, calling their removal an overt attack on fundamental democratic rights.

The Minister urged the Centre to recognise the legitimacy of the student movement, demanding the immediate scrapping of NEET and the restoration of Education to the State List. "We will take every firm step toward scrapping NEET and will always stand as an unshakable shield for students' rights and welfare," he affirmed.

TNCC, Youth Congress stage widespread demonstrations

Meanwhile, members of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and Youth Congress staged widespread demonstrations across the state, demanding the immediate scrapping of the NEET and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over recurring examination irregularities and alleged paper leaks.

Congress party members in Sankarapuram, Kallakurichi staged a road blockade late Tuesday night to protest the arrest of senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, in Delhi.

Holding banners and shouting anti-Centre slogans, protesters attempted to march towards government centers, highlighting what they termed "systemic administrative failure" by the National Testing Agency (NTA).