Tamil Nadu’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has officially demanded the total abolition of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). Party leadership, led by C. Joseph Vijay, is pushing for medical education to be transferred from the Constitution’s Concurrent List to the State List to ensure regional control over admissions policy. This position comes as the party joins the broader opposition chorus regarding student protests and reported irregularities in the medical entrance examination.
TVK’s Legislative Strategy for Medical Education
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is calling for a structural overhaul of how India manages medical entrance exams. The party asserts that the current national-level test for medical aspirants should be scrapped entirely, arguing that states must possess full authority over matters relating to medical education.
To achieve this, the party has proposed moving education from the Concurrent List to the State List of the Constitution. Recognizing that such a fundamental change may face legal or procedural delays, the TVK has offered an interim alternative: If there are any legal or procedural hurdles in doing so, a Special Concurrent List should be created as an interim measure until they are resolved to grant powers to state governments.
The party stated that this would ensure state governments have complete control over education policy, including medical education.
The Political Rift with the DMK
The TVK’s recent statement serves as a sharp critique of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Without explicitly naming its rival, the TVK accused the party of engaging in fraudulent politics
by making electoral promises to abolish NEET that it has failed to fulfill since the 2021 Assembly elections. The TVK noted that it would never indulge in the fraudulent politics
of deceiving people for votes by making false promises to scrap NEET ourselves.
The party maintains that its own position is based on securing constitutional powers for the states rather than making promises that could not be implemented. This public distancing highlights a growing rivalry between the two political entities regarding their approaches to medical admission reforms and their respective roles in the ongoing debate.
Escalating Protests and Public Stance
The demand for the abolition of NEET comes during a period of heightened unrest in Delhi and Chennai. Student-led protests have intensified following reports of paper leaks, creating a volatile environment for political actors. The TVK has characterized its position as an uncompromising and firm stand
against the national examination system.
The discourse has also touched on the treatment of activists. The TVK statement comes against the backdrop of criticism by Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin over the government’s handling of rapper ‘Therukkural’ Arivu, who was detained by police after raising anti-NEET slogans outside the Tamil Nadu Secretariat at the Fort St George campus. The party condemned what it described as the unethical politics of putting their own label
on the hard work, struggles, and ideas of others, urging critics to stop targeting the TVK for its advocacy.
Vision for a Permanent Solution
The party’s platform remains centered on the vision articulated by its leader, C. Joseph Vijay. By framing the issue as a matter of state constitutional rights, the TVK is positioning itself as a party focused on long-term administrative autonomy.
This is our vision for both a permanent and an interim solution. Our victorious leader (Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay) has already emphasised this,
the party stated. As the debate continues, the focus shifts to whether the proposed legislative changes regarding the Concurrent List will gain traction. The TVK’s insistence on state-level control suggests that the medical entrance exam will remain a central point of contention in upcoming policy discussions, with the party setting a clear roadmap for reform.
