Mixed reactions on quashing of 85% quota for state board students

“According to our constitution, we cannot give a separate reservation for CBSE or state board, but only for the socially and educationally backward. We have already known it will not be acceptable to the court,” said Dr G R Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Equality (DASE). 

The Association hopes that state government now puts in efforts towards getting the President’s assent for the two bills that were passed in the Assembly exempting the state from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the doctors added.  

However, some associations felt that the judgment was unfortunate. “The government had found some ways to give allowance to the students of the state. All along, parents and students were unsure about whether the state would be exempted or not. 

The state government should have decided that they were going to follow NEET from the beginning. When it was not done, parents and students were assured that they would be given some allowance in the form of the reservation. However, now that it is quashed, it is unfortunate,” said Dr K Senthil of the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors’ Association. 

“Such allowances should be given for at least three to five years. Based on the Union government’s recommendation only will the President give his assent. Naturally, the Centre will not exempt Tamil Nadu alone from the NEET Act,” he added.