On Saturday (12 August), Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi firmly asserted that he will never clear the MK Stalin government’s anti-NEET bill, even as the bill has been awaiting Presidential assent. He argued that the achievements without a competitive exam like NEET were not enough for the future and asserted that the qualifying test is here to stay.
He said, “Look, I will be the last man to give clearance; never, ever. I do not want my children to feel intellectually disabled. I want our children to compete and be the best. They have proved it.”
Tamil Nadu Governor made his stand clear while interacting with top NEET scorers in UG-2023 at the Raj Bhavan. During the interaction, a student’s parent raised a question that when will he give “clearance to ban NEET”. The parent’s query was in regard to the bill passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly that seeks an exemption for the students of Tamil Nadu from the ambit of this central examination.
Governor Ravi said, “I am telling you very frankly, I will never give clearance to NEET (bill), let it be very clear. Anyway it has gone to the President because it is a subject of Concurrent List, it is a subject to which only the President is competent to give clearance to.”
He categorically asserted that the qualifying test is there to stay and he wants every child to be competitive.
He added, “Let there not be any confusion, NEET is going to stay in the country. I want my children to be competitive, to be the best in the country.”
It is important to note that MK Stalin’s government and Governor RN Ravi have been at loggerheads with each other over this issue for more than a year now.
Last year, the state Assembly again adopted a bill seeking exemption for students from Tamil Nadu from NEET, after the Governor had returned it earlier.
During the interaction at Raj Bhavan, Governor Ravi also cleared the myth that it is not necessary to be enrolled in coaching centers for clearing this medical entrance exam as he claimed that the CBSE syllabus was the “standard” and students could clear using those books only.
He said, “Whatever is there in the CBSE book, nothing beyond is needed. Many students, I have seen cleared it, cleared it well without going to coaching institutions. The book they have prescribed– the CBSE book, that is a standard. If the standard is lower than that, don’t blame that standard. Try to raise the standard.”