Tamil Nadu CM Stalin slams Centre over NEET, says test has nothing to do with merit

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin. File Pic

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday slammed the BJP-led Centre on NEET saying it has accepted that the test's benefit is zero and it has nothing to do with merit.

A day after his son and state Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi hit out at the Centre over the same issue, Stalin said the Union Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has "accepted" that the benefit of NEET is zero.

On X, M K Stalin said: "By reducing the NEET PG cut-off to 'zero', they are accepting that 'eligibility' in National 'Eligibility' Cum Entrance Test is meaningless. It's just about coaching centres and paying for the exam. No more qualification is required. NEET = 0. NEET has nothing to do with merit, which we have been saying all along. It has become a mere formality, devoid of any real eligibility criteria. The Union BJP Govt remained heartless despite so many precious lives were lost and has now come up with an order like this. The BJP Govt must be removed just for causing loss of lives with the guillotine called #NEET."

On Wednesday, Udhayanidhi Stalin alleged the Centre reducing the qualifying percentile for NEET PG 2023 to be eligible for counselling to zero has exposed the "conspiracy" of the national test.

Meanwhile, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has expressed disapproval of the notice released by the Ministry of Health regarding the NEET PG cut-off criteria and said zero percentile candidates being eligible for postgraduate seats is a mockery of the healthcare system.

"We are shocked to see such notice released by the Ministry of Health regarding the NEET PG cut-off. It is ridiculous to see zero percentile candidates are eligible for getting a Postgraduate Seat. This is a mockery of the standard of Medical Education and healthcare system," FAIMA Doctors Association said in a post on X on Wednesday.

The Department of Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education Policy issued a notice on Wednesday to the National Medical Commission (NMC) regarding the reduction of the qualifying percentile for NEET-PG, 2023.

The decision of the Union Health Ministry comes after doctors across the country had been demanding a reduction in the NEET-PG 2023 cut-off criteria.