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India's Neet row: Tamil Nadu parties demand abolition of exam, seek state control
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay stated that the Union government should respect the views of students and the public regarding Neet
- PUBLISHED: Thu 23 Jul 2026, 6:30 PM
The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), two major political parties in Tamil Nadu, have called for the abolition of the centralised medical entrance exam and for authority over admissions to be transferred to the states.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay stated that the Union government should respect the views of students and the public regarding Neet and abolish the system. He emphasised that state governments should have the authority to determine medical education policies without central interference. If legal or procedural challenges arise, he suggested moving education to the concurrent list to enable state-level decision-making.
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Former Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin also advocated for abolishing Neet, stating this is the only way to address systemic irregularities. “We were the first to warn that Neet was designed to enable large-scale irregularities,” said Stalin. “That is why the DMK has opposed Neet from the very beginning, consistently pointing out the dangers it poses. Tamil Nadu which led India in defending social justice and paved the way for the First Constitutional Amendment has only one demand -- Abolition of Neet.”
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The TVK criticised the DMK’s position, indirectly accusing its rivals of engaging in “fraudulent politics” by promising to abolish Neet for electoral gain. State School Education Minister A. Rajmohan reiterated that the government opposes Neet. “Abolishing Neet is the only permanent solution,” he stated. He also urged the central government to grant the state’s longstanding request to move education to the state list.
The state assembly had earlier unanimously approved the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses bill, but the President withheld the clearance, leading to the state challenging it in the Supreme Court.
Other states have made similar requests. Karnataka asked the centre to replace Neet UG with its own Common Entrance Test for medical admissions. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jammu & Kashmir, and West Bengal have also sought to implement state-level alternatives.
