When Vijay entered politics with the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam, he positioned himself as a new alternative, powered by youth support and digital mobilization. His campaign spoke of dignity, clean governance and empowerment, which has now translated into his victory in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections.But what did not change with Vijay’s entry was Tamil Nadu’s position on NEET. In his opening speeches in 2024, Vijay made his position clear. “People have lost faith in NEET. The nation does not need NEET. Exemption is the only solution,” he said, supporting Tamil Nadu’s long-standing demand to exit the exam. They have also argued that NEET is unfair to economically weaker students and have demanded inclusion of education in the state list.The ruling establishment, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, has consistently opposed NEET through legislative and political means. The state government had passed anti-NEET bills in 2021 and 2024, which proposed admissions based on Class 12 marks, but these were rejected at the central level. Stalin called the rejection “the dark chapter of federalism” and even called all-party meetings to build a consensus.It reflects a rare point of agreement across political lines in the state. Parties that are otherwise fiercely competitive take a similar stand on NEET, arguing that the exam disadvantages students from rural and state boards, favors those who can afford coaching, and underrepresents less privileged backgrounds.Past data and committee findings have pointed to a decline in rural representation in medical admissions. The AK Rajan Committee of Tamil Nadu (2021) shows that the share of rural students has fallen from 61.45% (pre-NEET average) to 50.81% (post-NEET), while urban has increased from 38.55% to 50.09%.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has defended the test as a measure to ensure merit-based admissions and bring uniformity across states. They argue that NEET helps reduce capitation fees and reduces irregularities associated with private medical college admissions. The Center has also pointed out that students from Tamil Nadu have performed well in the examination in recent years and secured several high ranks. “NEET is only against private medical colleges that demand huge amount from students and it is not discriminatory. Who is it against social justice,” BJP leader K Annamalai had said in a statement. NEET was introduced in 2013 and since 2017 has been completely replaced with a single national test for all MBBS, BDS and AYUSH seats like AIPMT, state CETs, AIIMS, and JIPMER.NEET has weakened states by centralizing medical admissions, overriding their autonomy to set standards, syllabus and reservations. States lost control of 85% of seats, forcing uniform NCERT syllabus to the detriment of state boards.Whether this political consensus in the state can lead to any structural change in the entrance test with national eligibility is uncertain. As of now, the exam is mandatory for medical admission across the country.
