I would never give assent to the anti-NEET bill: Ravi

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi on Saturday said that he would never give assent to the anti-National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) bill.

When a question was raised by a parent at a function to facilitate NEET UG toppers from Tamil Nadu, he said "the bill has been sent for the President's consideration. As it is a concurrent subject and the President is the competent authority. But given to me, I shall never give assent to the anti-NEET bill. Because I don't want our bright children to feel intellectually disabled".

"A wrong impression has been created that without NEET, we were doing well", he said adding "before NEET was introduced, the number of poor students in government schools was hardly less than 200 and in 2016–17, when NEET was introduced, the number came down"

Pointing out that the then government brought out an ordinance for 7.5% reservations, which gave opportunity to eligible students of government schools who are from weaker sections to fulfil their dreams, he said as a result, the number reached more than 600.

Governor Ravi said the success story of NEET achievers will inspire others and dispel the artificially created fear against NEET in our State in his address at the NEET achievers felicitation function at Raj Bhavan's Bharathiar Mandapam. pic.twitter.com/gAdU4dMRMJ

— RAJ BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@rajbhavan_tn) August 12, 2023

"In our state, a fake impression against NEET has been created that they (medical aspirants) can't face the competition, as if they are intellectually challenged", he said adding "It is extremely unfair and unjust".

Stating that the necessity of coaching for NEET is a myth, the governor said "there are students who have cleared NEET without any coaching because their teachers at school have taught them well".

"We cannot blame the examinations if the teaching standards are low. We have to raise the standards", he added.

Claiming that before NEET, it was highly commercialised and controlled by a strong and powerful lobby, he said "it was this lobby that made all the noise and misled innocent people in the name of students committing suicide and I have not heard any such news of suicide in the last year".

"Earlier, whenever such an unfortunate incident happened, it was wrongly linked to NEET", he said adding "they glorified the suicide of our innocent students for their own vested interests".

Ravi said NEET has reduced corruption in medical studies and made it possible for poor students to get admission to a good medical college. "Before NEET, it was all-out corruption. Our students are the victims of this false propaganda and NEET has done justice to the poor and meritorious students coming from government schools".