CM MK Stalin Urges President Murmu To Approve Tamil Nadu's Anti-NEET Legislation

Chief Minister M K Stalin requested President Droupadi Murmu to approve the state's anti-NEET bill.

Chief Minister M K Stalin (File Photo)

Source : PTI

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday requested President Droupadi Murmu to approve the state's anti-NEET bill during her visit to the region. The President was in town to attend the Indian Maritime University's convocation ceremony, as reported by PTI. The Chief Minister personally handed a letter to the President at the airport regarding this matter, as per an official statement. The Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021, initially approved by the state Assembly in September of the same year, was later sent back by Governor RN Ravi.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin gives a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, requesting to accord assent to the Tamil Nadu Admission to Under Graduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021.

While urging the President to expedite the assent, he termed the National… pic.twitter.com/x3E0vywd7m

— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2023

The bill was reintroduced and passed by the Assembly in February 2022, subsequently being submitted again to the Governor for "reserving" it for Presidential assent, as conveyed in Stalin's letter to Murmu. The Governor has now forwarded it to the Union Home Ministry.

"All the clarifications sought on the Bill by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs based on the comments of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Higher Education, MoE and Ministry of Ayush have been provided expeditiously. Since there had been no progress after our replies, in my letter dated August 14, 2023, I had highlighted the various adverse impacts due to this delay like the lost opportunities for the underprivileged students and many student suicides and had urged you to grant the assent without any further delay," Stalin said in his communication to the President.

Responses to the recent inquiries from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have been provided as well.

"But unfortunately, the assent to our Bill has not been provided till now. In this scenario, I once again wish to reiterate that the inordinate delay in granting assent to our Bill has deprived medical admissions for many deserving students who could not afford costly coaching facilities and has effectively stalled the intent of the broad legislative, political and social consensus in Tamil Nadu." "I, therefore, solicit your kind and immediate intervention in this sensitive issue and urge you to accord the assent to the above Bill at the earliest," he added.