• FAQ covers Benefits of NEET, Background to NEET in Tamil Nadu, Are the number of Medical Seats Growing, Timelines 2012-16, Complications due to reservations add to Student stress, Why Oppose NEET, SC on NEET.

In 2023 wrote Why Tamil Nadu government NEET. Thanks to current protests NEET has occupied centre stage. CM Joseph V wants NEET to be scrapped. Noted journalist Shekhar Gupta wrote in the Business Standard, “NEET UPA set up was struck down in 2013 by Supreme Court bench as unconstitutional.  The 2013 order was struck down by a five-judge bench in 2016. Going back to NEET, it was to consummate this centralisation success that the Modi government set up NTA, under the Societies Registration Act. Decentralise all technical admissions and restore to the states their autonomy. Abolish NTA.”

Intent of NEET was streamline the Medical Admissions process, eliminate corruption, high capitation fees culture, save cost of purchasing multiple expensive application forms-travel across, labour of writing multiple entrance tests. Source Those advocating decentralization of NEET mean students have to write state wise tests.

Know the confusion that decentralised reservations have created, something few talk out including A Dipke (Dalit beneficiary). Read more below.

This FAQ covers, what is the background to NEET in Tamil Nadu, are the number of Medical Seats Growing, why was NEET introduced, timelines 2012-16, Practical Complications due to reservations add to Student stress and Supreme Court on NEET. Thank you SC.

1. What is the background to NEET in Tamil Nadu, a big protestor?

Excerpts from a 2023 Hindustan Times article, “Prior to NEET, Tamil Nadu used to hold its own Common Entrance Test (CET) for admission to medical colleges in the state for filling the state seats. In 2006, the Tamil Nadu government enacted the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Admission in Professional Courses Act, which said that admission to such courses shall be based on marks obtained by the students in qualifying examinations held by the State Board for Class XII. The CET conducted by the state was based on the State Board syllabus.”

A new board was appointed as the coordinator body for exams. In order to make children get higher scores the syllabus standards were changed around 2007. This boosted marks percentage. This way more students joined colleges, meaning more money for those who owned colleges. This worked for about a decade.

TN has the second highest number of medical colleges in India. NEET was perceived to be a tool to get non-Tamilian students admission in state medical colleges (government and private, cost of former by state government). Reality?

The DMK opposition to NEET continued. In a 2017 MINT article against one nation one tax P Chakravarty and P Thiagarajan (DMK member) wrote that NEET was against federalism, “One nation, one curriculum"-a “one nation" construct seems to be the cornerstone of many of the policy initiatives of the Union government. Efficiency gains through standardization are often touted as the motivation for these policies.”    

In early 2023 the TN government challenged the constitutional validity of NEET. This is notwithstanding that the application of NEET was upheld by the SC in 2020 decision in Christian Medical College vs. Union of India.

2. Are the number of Medical Seats Growing? Which States top/laggards?

A review of the National Medical Commission site on 25.7.26 at 12.20 pm shows there are 823 (706 on 22.10.23) medical colleges in India that teach MBBS having 129,602 (108,890 on 22.10.23) seats, up 19%.

U.P. leads followed by Maharashtra, TN, Karnataka. West Bengal and Bihar are amongst the laggards.    

All students wishing medical admission have to take NEET. However, cut-offs for General and Reserved category students are different.

The Cockroach Party protests do not speak of this because probably founder A Dipke is perhaps a beneficiary, being Dalit. All parties, BJP included increase reservations based on alleged discrimination. Read  Max number of Scholars in pre-British India were Sudras

3. Practical Complications due to reservations that add to Student stress.

NEET is a Central exam but Reservations are State wise.

One can be OBC in the Central List but not in the State List. Or I could be an OBC in my home state but general category in state in which college is located. For e.g. A Reddy in Karnataka is OBC but is a dominant community in Telangana.

The list of OBC Muslims in West Bengal was very large during Trinamool Congress rule but that Muslim may not be an OBC in say Maharashtra. SC & ST converts are OBC in many states. Confusion! Caste first, forget NEET.

Central List of Other Backward Classes is given state-wise as per NCBC site In Central List number of OBC in select states & Muslims considered as OBC. For e.g. in Rajasthan Jats are OBC whilst in Punjab they are always ruling the state. If a Jat from Punjab goes to study in Rajasthan, would he become OBC.

Read Can India become a Casteless society

How states differ in enumerating castes

Scheduled Caste Converts are OBC in States  - for list of states click on link.

All political parties have contributed to this confusion-think of students.

4. What are the timelines?

A 2016 Indian Express article provides detailed timeline. Here are excerpts-

“Before 2012: CBSE used to conduct All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT).

2012: The Government introduces the one-country, one-test, NEET for medical admissions.” Private and minority institutions went to court.  

May 5, 2013: Test held for the first time.

April 28, 2016: The Supreme Court clears decks for holding of NEET in two phases for the academic year 2016-17.

May 1, 2016: CBSE conducted the first phase of NEET.

May 20, 2016:  NDA government paved the way for an ordinance to keep state governments’ exams out of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test.

July 18, 2016: The Lok Sabha passed a bill mandating the conduct of a single common exam for medical and dental courses. This included private colleges.”

Thus, NEET was initiated in 2012 i.e. under Congress rule. Two, NEET had the blessings of the Supreme Court. Three, NDA government kept states out of NEET. 

5. Why Oppose NEET by Durgesh Mangeshwar – Source

1. Transparency and Capitation Fees - “NEET lends transparency to the admission process and monitoring by Government agencies which prohibits Medical colleges from earning exorbitant capitation fees. The modus operandi of Private Medical colleges was to conduct a dubious Entrance Test which could be easily manipulated. Students were deliberately failed and vacancies created in Merit quota which were transferred to Management quota. Capitation fees can be legally charged from any student applying for Management quota.”

2. “Lazy students are bound to oppose any exam like NEET which has a greater syllabus, higher level of difficulty of questions and a tougher exam pattern.”

3. NEET is against students from the State

“Admissions to Medical colleges of a particular State happen on the basis of fixed quotas reserved for State students and out-of-State students. There is a 85% State quota in Government Medical Colleges and 65% State quota in Private Medical Colleges. These State quota seats are only for students of that State and no outside State student is given that seat. The introduction of NEET does not disturb the quota system (based on constitutional, State, regional, girls etc.) at all. Only the exam has changed. It was earlier a State-level CET and now it is NEET.”

The Tamil Nadu government challenged the constitutional validity of NEET. Its 2023 petition read, “The state government said that the 2020 judgment upheld NEET on the ground that it was required to curb the evil of unfair practices-granting admission based on paying capacity of candidates, charging capitation fee, large-scale malpractices, exploitation of students, profiteering, and commercialisation-all of which do not arise with respect to admission to government seats.” Source Hindustan Times

6. Supreme Court on NEET 

In Christian Medical College Vellore & Ors. Vs. Union of India reported in (2014) 2 SCC 305 SC stated, “A regulation which is designed to prevent maladministration of an educational institution cannot be said to offend Clause (1) of Article 30.” Para 92, pg 16. Plea was to exclude Minority Institutions from NEET.

In May 2016 Supreme Court Establishes Mandatory NEET for Medical Admissions “Affirming the State's competence to legislate on the implementation of educational standards under List I Entry 66 and List III Entry 25 of the Constitution.” 1 Sankalp Charitable Trust vs. Union Of India And Others

Thank you SC for holding your ground on NEET. Hope this BJP government will give it the seriousness that it deserves and learn from IIT JEE / CA Exams. 

Errors if any in data collection are unintended and without malafide intent. It is not my intent to malign any political party, community or State. As always, am happy to stand corrected.

Also read

1. May 2016 Supreme Court Establishes Mandatory NEET for Medical Admissions

2. Everything you need to know about 2016 SC Verdict – Indian Express

3. To read 2016 NEET Bill – PRS

4. To known functions of NMC

5. Who runs 32 private medical colleges of Tamil Nadu Feb 22 report  

6. DMK fights against NEET – the true picture in TN – News18 report

7. The anti-NEET movement in Tamil Nadu

8. NEET is a larger federal and equity battle

9. Curious case of TN opposition to NEET

10. Reservations in India explained

11. Various SC orders