Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi’s remarks that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is going to stay in the country and students from the State cannot be “intellectually disabled” were misleading and unnecessary, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma. Subramanian said in Tenkasi on Sunday.
Interacting with journalists after declaring open a number of infrastructural facilities at the Tenkasi Government Hospital, he said the Governor had no more role to play in the NEET Bill.
Under the guise of felicitating NEET toppers at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday, the Governor had made misleading statements.
When the elected government in the State had passed a unanimous resolution and Bill seeking exemption from the test and sent it to the Governor, he had refused to forward it to the President’s office and returned it to the Speaker. Only when the Assembly re-adopted the Bill and sent it, the Governor forwarded it to the President for assent, he said.
He said that the President’s office had sent the Bill to Union Home Ministry where officials had sought clarification from the Tamil Nadu government. The Departments of Health and Family Welfare and Education had also responded. “Now, assuming that the President gives her assent for the Bill, the Governor’s office would get an intimation, not permission. Hence, the Governor has no more role to play in the Bill,” he said.
At least from now, Mr. Ravi should get along with the elected government and function as per the Constitution, the Minister added.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had promised in the 2021 election manifesto that, if elected to power, the DMK would get exemption for the State from NEET. “This will happen...Wait and see,” the Minister added.
He said that the Governor was caught in an embarrassing situation when a girl’s father asked him when he would give his assent to “ban NEET” in Tamil Nadu.
Exemption from NEET was the popular sentiment in the State. Hence, the Governor cannot go against the people, he added.
