This Article is From Aug 06, 2017

Two NEET Bills And A Government Order In Tamil Nadu: Timeline Of Events

Madras High Court quashed a Tamil Nadu government order reserving 85 per cent of MBBS and BDS seats to state board students while the state leadership is trying everything possible to get centre's assent for two NEET bills the assembly passed in last February.

Two NEET Bills And A Government Order In Tamil Nadu: Timeline Of Events

Two NEET Bills And A Government Order In Tamil Nadu: Timeline Of Events

New Delhi: In another setback for the Tamil Nadu government, the Madras High Court recently dismissed an appeal filed by the state over the single judge order which quashed a Tamil Nadu government order reserving 85 per cent of MBBS and BDS seats to state board students and only 15 per cent for CBSE and other boards, holding that it amounted to discrimination among equals. Meanwhile the Tamil Nadu government is trying to do everything possible to get president's assent to the bills passed by the state assembly, the bills aimed at paving way for continuation of the undergraduate medical admissions on the basis of class 12 marks, exempting Tamil Nadu from the ambit of NEET for admission to MBBS/BDS courses.

January 31: Tamil Nadu became the first State to introduce Bills in the Legislative Assembly to exempt aspirants from appearing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical and dental colleges. 

February 1: Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously adopts the Bills

February 17: The Governor C Vidyasagar Rao approves the bills.

February 19: Minutes after winning the confidence motion, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami says the two bills passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly have been sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for approval.

June 22: A state government order  reserves 85 per cent of MBBS and BDS seats to state board students and only 15 per cent for CBSE and other boards

July 11: Madras High Court reserves orders on the petitions by Darnish Kumar, a student represented by his parents, and two others and ordered status quo on the admission process till the adjudication of the matter on the petitions by some CBSE students challenging the June 22 state government order.

July 14: The Madras High Court quashes a Tamil Nadu government order reserving 85 per cent of MBBS and BDS seats to state board students and only 15 per cent for CBSE and other boards, holding that it amounted to discrimination among equals.

July 24: The Madras High Court adjourns hearing on a PIL seeking a direction to the central and state governments to obtain presidential assent for NEET bills.

July 24: A delegation of DMK MPs meet Union minister J P Nadda and urged him to hasten the process of getting president's nod for two bills.

July 25: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought exemption.

July 27: The DMK cadres form human chains across Tamil Nadu to press for President's assent to two Bills. DMK leader MK Stalin was stopped enroute to Salem and he was held on "law and order" grounds. The leader claimed that the police denied him permission to visit Salem to participate in the human chain protest seeking exemption for the state from NEET.

July 27: A section of Rajya Sabha members belonging to the Congress, the DMK, the TMC and the CPI stage a demonstration in Parliament premises and demanded exemption to Tamil Nadu.

July 28: While talking about the government's efforts, DMK leader MK Stalin said, though the state government had claimed that it was contemplating promulgating an ordinance on the NEET issue, "efforts do not seem to have been taken towards that".

July 31: The Madras High Court dismisses appeals by the Tamil Nadu government and others against a single judge's order quashing reservation of 85 per cent seats for state board students in medical courses.

July 31: The Tamil Nadu government makes the "final effort" (as it was called by the government) in seeking exemption from NEET, State Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, accompanied by Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, met Union Health Minister Nadda and Union Minister of State for the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh in Delhi.

August 1: Protesting against Tamil Nadu government seeking exemption, political outfit, Puthiya Tamizhakam stages a demonstration in Chennai, demanding that medical aspirants should be selected through the test.

August 2: Tamil Nadu continues its efforts to press the Centre seeking an exemption with its Health Minister C Vijayabaskar meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue, second time in about three weeks.

(This article was originally published on August 2, 2017.)

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