Lagatar24 Desk
Kolkata: West Bengal has joined Tamil Nadu in opposing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), passing a resolution today to revert to the previous medical admission system. This move reflects growing discontent among states regarding the centralized exam.
State Education Minister Bratya Basu voiced Bengal’s long-standing opposition to NEET, attributing its adoption to pressure from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then the Chief Minister of Gujarat. “We were never in favor of an all-India exam. When NEET was imposed, it dismantled the federal structure,” Basu stated. He recalled Modi’s earlier stance against central control over NEET, emphasizing the inconsistency.
Countering the resolution, state BJP’s Sankar Ghosh accused the Trinamool Congress of corruption within the education system, claiming, “Trinamool and transparency have no connection at all.”
The resolution follows a recent Supreme Court decision rejecting a re-test for NEET, despite disputes over question number 29 of the Physics paper. The court’s ruling means students who answered incorrectly will lose marks, affecting around 400,000 students.
West Bengal’s action comes after Tamil Nadu’s assembly unanimously urged the central government to abolish NEET, advocating for state-based admissions based on Class 12 marks, a system in place before NEET’s implementation.
