On I-Day, Stalin seeks transfer of education back to State List

Relevance: GS2: Indian Polity and Constitution, Government policies and interventions, Prelims

(Source: The Hindu, 08/16/23)

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Why in the news?

• The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, during the independence day speech, advocated for returning education to the State List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, emphasising that this step is necessary to eliminate centralised exams such as NEET.
• Tamil Nadu's opposition to the NEET grew substantially after the tragic suicide of a student and his father raised an issue about exam-related stress.

The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) and its Background

• The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), formerly known as the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), is the entrance exam for MBBS and BDS programmes. The National Testing Agency (NTA) is in charge of it.
• The NEET was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013, and the MCI was given no authority to issue notifications to govern admissions to medical/dental institutions.
• In April 2016, a five judge bench recalled its 2013 judgement and eventually mandated the conduct of NEET.
• In response to appeals from various stakeholders, the Union Government issued an ordinance in May 2016 exempting State-run medical institutions from the scope of the Supreme Court mandate for a year.
• Based on a Supreme Court order in 2016, NEET was implemented across the country.
• The Tamil Nadu government was adamantly opposed to the entrance test from the start, and initially obtained exemption from NEET-based admissions.
• The President refused to grant assent to two bills passed unanimously by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 2017 that sought exemption from NEET-based admissions for undergraduate and postgraduate degree medical programmes.

Why is the Tamil Nadu government against NEET?

• In Tamilnadu, the politicians argue that the NEET privileges wealthier students from urban backgrounds.
• Tamil Nadu formed a committee led by former High Court judge Justice A. K. Rajan to investigate the implications of the NEET-based admission procedure.
• According to Justice A. K. Rajan committee, the use of NEET as the primary criteria for admission to medical institutions has reduced the percentage of seats previously held by students who completed the Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Examination (TNBSE). It benefited Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) pupils.
• Coaching issues: The majority of students who were enrolled in medical colleges after taking the NEET underwent coaching.
  • Coaching, as opposed to learning a topic, focuses solely on preparing students to answer questions presented in a certain test.
  • It has switched the emphasis on passing the 'be-all-end-all' test rather than mastering the topics at the higher secondary level.
• Socio-Economic issues: Taking the examination a second or third time in order to obtain the coveted medical seat necessitates financial and social resources. This is well out of reach for families from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Corruption: NEET was implemented to guarantee that only qualified students seeking medical seats get admitted to medical schools, as well as to abolish the practice of collecting capitation fees, which fueled corruption.
• NEET behaviour has been inconsistent, including reports of impersonation. Even in the recent NEET exams, the CBI discovered an impersonation ring and detained eight people.

Conclusion

The Tamil Nadu NEET debate is much more than simply an admission test; it signifies a bigger movement for educational parity, autonomy, and social justice. The state's devotion to its distinctive vision of education and healthcare clashes with central standardisation, igniting a critical debate in the country concerning the nature of democracy and justice.

FAQs

MCQs

Question: Which of the following provisions of the Constitution of India have a bearing on Education? (UPSC 2012)

1. Directive Principles of State Policy
2. Rural and Urban Local Bodies
3. Fifth Schedule
4. Sixth Schedule
5. Seventh Schedule

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3, 4 and 5 only

(c) 1, 2 and 5 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5