Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has renewed his opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), urging the Centre to allow states to admit students to MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH courses based solely on Class 12 examination marks.
Speaking at the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vijay argued that NEET has adversely affected students from rural areas and socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. He said the examination creates barriers for talented students who perform well in school but struggle in a highly competitive national-level entrance test.
The Chief Minister requested that Tamil Nadu be permitted to fill all state quota seats in medical and dental courses using Class 12 marks as the sole admission criterion. According to Vijay, such a system would better reflect a student’s academic performance over the course of their schooling and promote greater educational equity.
Vijay’s remarks come amid ongoing controversy surrounding NEET-UG 2026 and allegations of irregularities in the examination process. His demand is consistent with Tamil Nadu’s long-standing stance against NEET and its repeated calls for greater autonomy in medical admissions.
The proposal has reignited the debate over the role of entrance examinations in higher education and the balance between merit-based testing and school-level academic achievement.
