MK Stalin, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to do away with the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) from the state amid the paper-leak row. He also urged the Central government exempt the system at the national level amid the paper-leak row that has gripped the national discourse.

“In this regard, we overwhelmingly enacted a Bill in our Legislative Assembly exempting Tamil Nadu from NEET and providing medical admissions based on 12th standard grades. This has been forwarded for presidential consent, but it is still pending,” Stalin noted in the letter, according to a PTI report.
MK Stalin also wrote to Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, asking for his cooperation.
Thank you, my dear brother Thiru @mkstalin
We will ensure every voice in India, from South to North, finds utterance in Parliament, and strengthens the federal structure as enshrined in our Constitution. https://t.co/BH4rpPzj4d
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 26, 2024
“In this regard, we overwhelmingly enacted a Bill in our Legislative Assembly exempting Tamil Nadu from NEET and providing medical admissions based on 12th standard grades. “This has been sent for Presidential assent, but it is still pending,” MK Stalin stated in the letter.
Considering the foregoing, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous resolution on Friday urging the Union Government to give its assent to the Bill exempting Tamil Nadu from NEET, as well as to amend the National Medical Commission Act to abolish this national selection process, he said.
MK Stalin wrote separate letters to his counterparts in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Telangana, and West Bengal, urging them to consider enacting similar resolutions to abolish the NEET in their respective assemblies.
NEET UG 2024 exam faced several controversies, stirring up concerns among aspirants and parent:

- Grace Marks: Over 1,500 students earned grace marks, raising concerns about the impartiality of the grading process. The Center has requested a retest for these pupils on June 23rd.
- Perfect Scores: An extremely large percentage of students received complete scores (720 out of 720), raising concerns and demanding investigation.
- Leaked Question Paper Allegations: There were reports of a leaked question paper at some exam centers, which added to the outrage.
- Despite the controversy, the Supreme Court chose not to halt the admissions counseling process. If any of the impacted candidates choose not to take the retest, their previous scores (without grace marks) will be utilized to determine the outcomes.
MK Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, has been actively advocating for changes related to the NEET UG:

- Exemption Request: Stalin submitted a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting that Tamil Nadu be excused from holding NEET for medical college admissions. To reduce student stress, MK Stalin advocated for the selection process to be based solely on class 12 marks.
- The CBI investigation into NEET paper leak instances led to a crackdown on people involved in exam irregularities. Stalin also advocated for the nationwide abolition of NEET.
- MK Stalin also urged the Prime Minister to abolish NEET at the national level. In Tamil Nadu, a bill for NEET exemption was passed in the Legislative Assembly, but Presidential assent is still pending. Stalin urged other states, including Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and West Bengal, to follow suit.
States Favoring NEET:
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- Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka: Generally, support NEET as a standardized test for medical admissions.
- Delhi: Supports NEET but also emphasizes improving the education system.
States with Regional Exams:
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- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka: Conduct their own state-level medical entrance exams alongside NEET.