NEET Reform Push: Thalapathy Vijay Demands More Powers for States in Medical Education

Thalapathy Vijay

IIE DIGITAL: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor-turned-politician Thalapathy Vijay has made it clear that his party is not merely opposing irregularities in the NEET examination. The party has demanded the complete abolition of the medical entrance test and called for granting full authority to states over matters related to medical education. Vijay’s party TVK has also stated that its stand on the issue remains firm and uncompromising.

The controversy over alleged NEET paper leaks and irregularities has sparked nationwide protests, with opposition parties demanding the resignation of the Education Minister. While the ruling party has accused the opposition of using students’ anger as a political tool, Vijay’s party has now presented its own position amid the ongoing debate.

The NEET UG examination was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 3, with around 23 lakh students appearing for the test. However, concerns emerged soon after the exam when allegations surfaced that question papers had been leaked in Rajasthan. Reports claimed that some candidates had received a set of probable questions nearly a month before the examination.

The suspected paper reportedly contained 410 questions, out of which around 120 questions were found to have matched the actual NEET paper, including the answer options. Following the controversy, the examination was cancelled and a re-test was conducted on June 21.

In its statement, TVK did not directly mention any political party but appeared to target the ruling DMK, which had promised the abolition of NEET before the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The party said it would not engage in “deceptive politics” by making unrealistic promises such as cancelling NEET merely for electoral gains.

TVK further stated that its approach applies to both immediate and long-term solutions regarding medical education reforms. The party reiterated that Thalapathy Vijay has already made his position clear and that they remain committed to demanding a system where states have greater control over medical education.