The NEET quota cauldron
The Hindu
As the State awaits the High Court judgment on a case that challenges the 7.5% reservation for government school students within NEET, here’s the rationale which successive governments have relied upon to make a strong case for affirmative action in medical admissions
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate medical and dental courses has been in the eye of the storm in Tamil Nadu since its introduction in 2017, with both the ruling and the principal Opposition parties not in favour of it. The Legislative Assembly passed a Bill in September to spare the students here from the requirement of clearing the test, and it is awaiting the President’s assent.
When two similar Bills passed during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime failed to receive assent, the Assembly came up with a law in October 2020 to provide 7.5% horizontal reservation to government school students in medical admissions. Now, this State law is being challenged before the Madras High Court and the incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government has filed an exhaustive counter affidavit defending the law.
The government has relied heavily upon a report submitted by a Commission constituted under the chairmanship of former Madras High Court judge P. Kalaiyarasan to substantiate its argument that the number of government school students gaining admission in medical colleges had dropped ever since the introduction of NEET in 2017, and therefore, there was an imminent necessity to ensure a level playing field for these students.
Minister launches distribution of textbooks in schools, over 70 lakh students to benefit across T.N.
Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi launched textbook and notebook distribution programme for the new academic year 2024-2025 as schools reopened after summer vacation on Monday in Chennai.