To end NEET's evil hold, TN CM Stalin suggests moving education to State List of Constitution

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, in his Independence Day address, has advocated for shifting Education to the State List of the Constitution from the Concurrent List, in order to tackle evil entrance examinations like NEET.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has advocated shifting education to the state list of the Constitution from the Concurrent List in order to scrap the evil gatekeeping entrance examinations such as the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), on Tuesday.

He made this recommendation while he was delivering his Independence Day address here from the ramparts of Fort St. George, the seat of power, in the state capital here.

He said all subjects that have a direct connect to the people of the state should be brought under Constitution's State List. "Education, in particular, should be moved to the State List. Only if 'education' is moved to the State List of Constitution, the evil qualifying examination methods like the NEET could be completely scrapped," he added. "India is a Union of States comprising diverse races, languages, religions and cultures. The growth should be inclusive of everyone," the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and the DMK supremo said.

Stalin's remarks came after a student allegedly died by suicide after failing in NEET's second attempt. After this incident, his father also died by suicide. Stalin also shot off a letter to President Droupadi Murmu and urged her to immediately give assent to a state Bill that seeks to exempt Tamil Nadu from the ambit of the qualifying test.

A day before the incident, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi had said, "I would never give ban for NEET. At the same time, NEET is on the public list. So it has been sent for the President's recommendation. There is no need to go to a coaching centre to study for the NEET exam. Students can be prepared for NEET while conducting lessons during school time. Exemption from NEET will question students' ability to compete in India."

Stalin urged everyone to create an India which provides for social justice, equality, brotherhood, justice, and secularism and that it would be the right tribute to the greats and freedom fighters who strived for our Independence. "The Independence, which we earned through our unity, should be protected with our unity. We will have to weed out the divisive forces," he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Stalin also spoke about the 'Dravidian model'. "Tamil Nadu has been contributing to the overall development of India in all aspects of education, economy, medicine, agriculture, exports, and efficient human power. The Dravidian model of social justice governance system of 'everyone is everything' should spread to the whole of India," the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said.

"Tamil Nadu former Chief Ministers CN Annadurai and Karunanidhi continued to raise their voice that the states included in federal India should act as if they had the right to autonomy. India united by states should grow with the development of all the people of different races, languages, religions, and cultures. Also building India with the highest ideals of social justice, equality, fraternity, equality, secularism, and welfare of the oppressed will be a true tribute to the martyrs who fought for our nation's freedom," the Chief Minister added.