As a nationwide controversy rages over the question paper leaks and irregularities that occurred in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG), Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay has launched a scathing attack on the Central Government. Amid the confusion surrounding the NEET examination and the ongoing protests by students and public organizations in Delhi, he has put forward a key demand: the complete abolition of the national-level NEET examination.
In its official statement, TVK made clear that merely correcting the irregularities within the NEET exam is not enough — permanently scrapping the examination is the right solution. The party demanded that education, currently placed in the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution, be immediately moved to the State List. It stated that only when education is brought under the State List will state governments gain full authority over medical education admissions as well as broader educational policy.
TVK urged the Centre that, should any legal or policy-related obstacles arise in immediately transferring education to the State List, a “Special Concurrent List” be established as an interim solution. The party made clear that, through this special arrangement, state governments should be granted full authority to make decisions on medical education until such legal complications are resolved, describing this as the best path forward on both a temporary and permanent basis.
On this occasion, TVK also directed sharp criticism at its main rival parties in Tamil Nadu. It made clear that it would never resort to deceptive politics of making false promises — such as claiming “we alone will abolish NEET” — merely to mislead people for votes. In an indirect dig at the DMK, which had promised during the 2021 assembly elections to abolish NEET if voted to power, TVK stated that it would not confine itself to campaign slogans, but would instead prioritize the pursuit of constitutional rights.
The significance of TVK’s announcement lies in its timing — coming as victims of the leak, student organizations, and leaders of public parties are engaged in intense street protests in the national capital, Delhi. Capitalizing on the growing nationwide pressure on the Modi government at the Centre, Vijay has sent a clear signal that his party’s stance on the issue of NEET’s abolition is uncompromising and firmly resolute.
Overall, TVK has made the abolition of NEET, along with the issue of state autonomy in the education sector, a central part of its agenda. At a time when doubts are being raised nationwide over the security and transparency of national-level entrance examinations, the demands raised by Vijay have sparked a fresh, nationwide debate — not just in Tamil Nadu, but on the broader question of Centre-state relations in education policy.