Thalapathy Vijay Calls for Immediate Ban on NEET Medical Exam

Tamil actor and politician Vijay has called for the immediate ban of the NEET exam, which is used for admission to medical courses. This comes amid allegations of irregularities and paper leaks in some states.

Vijay argued that the NEET exam, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), is unfair to students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds. He said that these students study in their state’s language and syllabus but are forced to take an exam based on the NCERT syllabus, which is not fair.

“Students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds in Tamil Nadu are severely affected by NEET. They study in the state’s language and syllabus but are compelled to take the exam based on the NCERT syllabus. How is this fair?” Vijay questioned.

Vijay also criticized the centralization of education and exams. He was speaking at an event honoring top achievers in the Class 10 and 12 public exams.

“I believe that a one-nation, one-curriculum, and one-exam policy contradicts the essence of education. The curriculum should be tailored to each state’s needs. Diversity is our strength, not a weakness,” he said.

Vijay, who leads the political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, said that recent irregularities have eroded trust in the NEET exam.

“People have lost faith in this exam. Recent reports have highlighted its unnecessary nature. The immediate solution is to ban NEET,” Vijay emphasized.

He also suggested that a permanent solution could be achieved by transferring education back to the State List from the Concurrent List.

“To address this issue permanently, education should return to the State List. As an interim measure, the Constitution could be amended to create a special Concurrent List, including subjects like education and health,” he proposed.

Vijay supported the recent resolution passed by Tamil Nadu’s MK Stalin-led government to abolish the NEET exam.

“I wholeheartedly support Tamil Nadu’s decision to ban NEET. I urge the central government to act promptly and respect the sentiments of the Tamil people,” he added.

In June, controversy arose when several NEET candidates achieved perfect scores, many from the same centers. Investigations revealed irregularities in the allocation of grace marks and pre-examination leaks of question papers. Opposition parties and student unions have criticized the Central government, demanding the scrapping of NEET-UG. The CBI is currently investigating these irregularities.