Amid NEET Row, Vijay Says “Abolish” Exam, Admit Students With Class 12 Marks

Chennai:

The massive paper leak issue in the medical entrance exam NEET has given Tamil Nadu another platform to slam the all-India exam and ask that it be scrapped. Today, Chief Minister Vijay urged the Centre to abolish NEET-based admissions for medical courses and to permit states to fill seats based on Class 12 marks. 

Read: CBI Arrests 5 In NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Case, Raids Multiple Locations

Cutting across political boundaries, Tamil Nadu has been against NEET since the beginning, arguing that it tilts the balance unfairly in favour of affluent, urban, English-educated students. The system excludes bright but underprivileged students from rural background who are educated in vernacular medium, the state has contended, seeking exemption from the exam.

In his statement posted on social media platform X today, Vijay pointed out that this was not the first time NEET has been compromised.

“In 2024, the question paper was leaked and FIRs were registered across six States and transferred to the CBI… a high-level Committee of Experts under Dr K Radhakrishnan, former Chairman of ISRO, submitted 95 comprehensive recommendations for reforms. Despite all this, within two years, another paper leak has occurred and the examination has been cancelled,” read the statement that suggested that this was “conclusive proof of flaws and structural flaws in a national level exam”.

“The Governments of Tamil Nadu, has been consistently and unanimously opposing NEET since its very inception. The introduction of NEET has severely disadvantaged the students from rural areas, Government schools, Tamil medium backgrounds, and socio-economically disadvantaged families. The Government of Tamil Nadu reiterates the State long pending demand to abolish NEET and permit the States to fill all seats under the State quota in MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH courses on the basis of Class 12 marks,” he added.

Read: Tamil Nadu Goes To Top Court Against President Not Clearing NEET Exemption Bill

In November last year, the state went to the Supreme Court challenging the President of India’s decision to withhold assent to the state’s NEET Exemption Bill – a law passed unanimously by the state assembly to restore admissions in medical courses on the basis of Class XII marks.

During the UPA era, President APJ Abdul Kalam had granted Tamil Nadu exemption from entrance tests for medical admissions, enabling the state to introduce its Class XII-based system to reward consistent performance instead of looking at the outcome of one exam.

But NEET was made mandatory in 2017 by the Central government after which the state went to the top court.