Majority of stakeholders don't want NEET: Justice Rajan

The high-level committee led by retired Madras High Court judge AK Rajan on Wednesday submitted a 165-page report to TN Chief Minister MK Stalin on the impact of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in the state. The CM was also informed of its key aspects, Justice Rajan informed reporters after handing over the report to the CM.

The report, based on data and devoid of personal opinions, includes 86,000 representations from stakeholders. A whopping majority said they don't want NEET, said Rajan. However, he refused to elaborate on the recommendations of the panel to the government.

Regarding the problems of the national examination, Rajan said that besides the adverse impact for rural and government school students, there are several more problems, including psychological, economic and even legal.

The committee was formed last month by the CM to analyse if the national test had an adverse impact on students from backward classes. If found to be true, the panel would also suggest remedial measures and an alternative admission procedure.

"The government will initiate the next course of action after considering the recommendations," the state government had said. Stalin added that Tamil Nadu has a historic duty to uphold social justice and that the government is determined to address the consequences of NEET. The petition filed in the Madras High Court recently seeking to quash the panel was also dismissed.

In Tamil Nadu, both the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK have been demanding that NEET be scrapped, alleging that it goes against social justice, rural and government school students.