In an indication of further straining of ties between the Tamil Nadu Secretariat and the Raj Bhavan, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday charged that Governor R N Ravi had failed to perform constitutionally vested duties in respect of a State Bill seeking to dispense with NEET-based admissions in MBBS/BDS courses. The Governor had earlier this week returned to the Legislative Assembly Speaker a Bill passed in September last year seeking to admit students to medical colleges on the basis of their class XII marks.
Legislative Assembly would be held at 10 a.m. on February 8 to discuss the return of the Bill against NEET by Governor R.N. Ravi. He said the session would be held at the Legislative Assembly hall in Fort St George. The Minister expressed the hope that even though the AIADMK boycotted Saturday’s meeting, it would attend the special session. Mr. Subramanian also made it clear that the urban local body elections slated for February 19, would not come in the way of holding the Assembly session.
Earlier, moving a resolution in the all-party meeting, he said NEET had not only affected poor and middle class students but also deprived the State governments of their right to admit students in medical colleges. “The Bill to dispense with NEET was adopted since NEET favours those who have the wherewithal to attend special coaching classes and undermines the relevance of school education,” he explained.
Mr. Subramanian said though in a democracy the Governor was expected to send the resolution adopted in the Assembly to the Union Government, he had chosen to return it. “Legal experts and people with neutral opinions have taken exception to the Governor’s argument that the Justice A.K. Rajan committee’s arguments [on the basis of which the Bill was passed] are wrong. The people of Tamil Nadu will not approve the stand of the Governor that exemption to NEET is not necessary,” he reiterated.