TN Governor to send NEET Bill to President

Tamilnadu Governor R.N Ravi has decided to send the NEET Bill which seeks exemption from NEET exams for medical course aspirants from Tamilnadu to the President.

According to reliable sources, the Governor’s secretariat will send a formal communication regarding this to the Tamilnadu Chief Minister in two days.

The DMK government which came to power attracting voters with the promise of getting exemption from NEET exams appointed the Justice Rajan commission to investigate the matter. A Bill was passed in the state assembly based on the report of the Rajan commission and the same was sent to the Governor for Presidential assent in September 2021. After 142 days the Governor returned the Bill to the assembly Speaker raising few objections.

Following this, the state assembly in a special session discussed the Bill once again. Views of the assembly members regarding the return of the Bill by the Governor were also recorded.  On March 13, the Bill was passed for the second time and was sent to the Governor for Presidential assent. Any bill regarding a matter that comes under the state purview which is passed in the assembly twice has to be sent to the President immediately.

Against this background, the Governor hosted a ceremony for Tamil New Year and the unveiling of Barathiyar’s statue at the Governor’s residence. DMK and its allies boycotted the function. Withholding of the NEET Bill without sending it to the President was cited as the reason for the boycott. 

Stating that as his examination of the NEET Bill and note-making has been completed the Governor has indicated that it would be sent to the President. It is expected that the stalemate over sending the Bill to the President and the resulting cold war between the Governor and the Government would settle.

 Whether the Central Government will approve the Bill will be known only latter. The Governor cannot send the Bill to the President directly. Only if the Central Government gives its nod it can be sent.