Tamil Nadu CM reiterates opposition to NEET before exam reform panel
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay told the Nandan Nilekani-led task force to use Class 12 marks for higher education admissions.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay expressed the state's opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) during a meeting with a high-powered task force on examination reforms at the Secretariat in Chennai on Wednesday. According to reports from The Hindu and India Today, the Chief Minister told the Nandan Nilekani-led panel that admissions for medical and other higher education courses should be based on Class 12 public examination marks instead of entrance tests.
The state government recommended the complete abolition of NEET and similar examinations. The meeting included task force members V. Kamakoti, Anita Karwal, and Shankar Maruwada, as well as School Education Minister Rajmohan and Chief Secretary M.
Sai Kumar.
The Union government established the task force to suggest ways to make the national examination system more secure and technology-driven. The panel is looking into various measures, such as using artificial intelligence to generate question papers from large banks to prevent leaks and transitioning to computer-based testing.
The task force has received more than 50,000 suggestions from various stakeholders. While the panel was initially expected to submit its report in October 2026, the Centre has extended its tenure until January 2027 to allow for further consultations and final recommendations.