Days after the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution urging the Union government to abolish the controversial medical entrance examinations, known as the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), actor and leader of Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Vijay, has sharply criticized the NEET examinations. Vijay voiced his demands for the departments of education and sanitation to be moved back to the State list from the Concurrent list.
Speaking at the second leg of TVK’s special meet-and-greet event on Wednesday, Vijay honored students who topped the recently-held 10th and 12th-grade examinations. The event took place at the Ramachandra Convention Center in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai. The celebrated actor and political leader made his stance clear during this gathering.
Referring to how the NEET examination impacts students from impoverished, economically backward, and oppressed classes, Vijay identified three critical issues with the implementation of NEET. He stated, “Firstly, it’s against the rights of a state government. Before 1975, education was under the State list, and then the Union government moved it to the Concurrent list — I believe this is where the issue started.”
Critiquing the “one nation, one lesson plan, one examination” educational policy, Vijay asserted that it was contrary to the primary objectives of education. He argued that lesson plans should be adaptable according to the states’ unique needs. “I am not just asking this to regain the rights of the state government but to ensure that the educational system encourages students to look at things from different perspectives. Diversity is a strength, not a weakness,” he said, questioning the fairness of testing students trained in the State board syllabus on the NCERT syllabus. “Imagine the plight of a student who hails from the village and aspires to become a doctor,” he added.
Vijay also referenced the cancellation of the “disorderly planned” NEET examinations, which has led to a general distrust among the public. “What we can concur from such news is that we no longer need NEET examinations,” he proclaimed. To address these issues, Vijay called for the abolition of NEET and expressed his support for the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
. “I request the Union government to respect Tamil Nadu’s feelings and solve this issue swiftly,” he urged.
In his address, Vijay emphasized the need for education to be brought back to the State list. He suggested that if there are complications in doing so, an amendment to the Constitution should be considered as an interim solution to create a special concurrent list for education and sanitation. “The issue with the Concurrent list is that even though the State governments have authority over the departments listed there, these departments are still being controlled by the Union government. So my request is to give full freedom to the State governments in managing these departments,” Vijay elaborated.
“Maybe if need be, the Union government can conduct NEET only for those institutions like PGI and AIIMS that it controls. See, these are just my suggestions. I am well aware that there won’t be swift progress in this issue, and even if there is a change, there are many forces that will ensure it doesn’t happen,” he concluded before encouraging students to perceive education as a celebration. “Do not take any stress. The world is big and there is no shortage of opportunities for us,” Vijay said.
It should be noted that on Friday, June 28, with widespread irregularities in NEET highlighting Tamil Nadu’s sustained opposition to the exam, the State Legislative Assembly passed a resolution urging the Union government to “immediately approve of T.N.’s NEET exemption bill” and “make necessary amendments to the National Medical Commission Act” to abolish NEET at the national level. The resolution signals a significant stand against what many in Tamil Nadu see as a deeply flawed system that disadvantages students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
Vijay, in his role as a leader of TVK, continues to advocate for the rights of Tamil Nadu and its students, highlighting the ongoing struggle between State and Union control over crucial public sectors like education and sanitation.
