Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has renewed the state's strong opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), urging the Union government to abolish the common medical entrance examination and allow states to grant admissions to medical courses based on Class 12 marks.
The demand comes amid nationwide outrage over the alleged NEET 2026 paper leak controversy, which has once again sparked questions over transparency, fairness and the intense pressure associated with high-stakes competitive examinations.
Vijay as well as his precedes had been arguing that the present NEET system places rural, economically weaker and state board students at a disadvantage while favouring candidates with access to expensive coaching centres and urban educational resources.
Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed NEET since its nationwide implementation, maintaining that the exam undermines the state board education system and creates unequal opportunities for students from marginalised backgrounds.
The issue became emotionally charged in the state after the 2017 death of S. Anitha, a Dalit student from Ariyalur who had scored exceptionally well in her Class 12 examinations but failed to secure the required NEET marks for admission to an MBBS course.
Successive governments in Tamil Nadu, cutting across party lines, have argued that school examination performance offers a fairer assessment of academic consistency than a single national-level entrance test.
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Supporters of Vijay's latest demand say restoring Class 12-based admissions would reduce student stress, curb dependence on coaching institutes and address repeated concerns over paper leaks and exam irregularities.
However, critics warn that scrapping NEET could revive issues that existed before the common entrance system, including allegations of capitation fees, donation-based admissions and inconsistent admission standards across states and boards.
Amid the growing debate, several education experts are now advocating reforms through a hybrid admission model combining NEET scores with Class 12 performance and stronger safeguards to ensure transparency in the examination process.
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