Tamil Nadu chief minister Joseph Vijay has urged the Union government to allow the state to admit students to medical courses based on their Class XII marks instead of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

Speaking at the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah in Mahabalipuram on Thursday, Vijay argued that NEET puts students from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds at a disadvantage.

Vijay said Tamil Nadu’s existing school-based admission model provides more equitable access to medical education. He urged the Centre to permit the state to fill all seats under its state quota for MBBS, BDS and AYUSH courses solely on the basis of Class XII marks.

His remarks come amid renewed concerns over NEET, including recent student protests linked to allegations surrounding examination paper leaks. Vijay maintained that the centralised entrance examination undermines Tamil Nadu’s long-standing approach to inclusive medical admissions.

Apart from NEET, Vijay raised issues concerning delimitation, fiscal devolution and the Cauvery water dispute during his meeting with Amit Shah.

Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed NEET arguing that a centralised entrance examination disadvantages students from the state’s government schools and rural and economically weaker backgrounds, who may have limited access to costly private coaching.

The state maintains that admissions based on Class XII board examination marks would provide a more equitable system by recognising students’ performance over two years of schooling rather than a single competitive examination. Tamil Nadu has also contended that NEET undermines the state’s role in shaping its medical education policy and could reduce opportunities for students who have performed well academically but cannot afford intensive coaching. The state has therefore repeatedly sought exemption from NEET and permission to admit students to medical courses under its state quota based on Class XII marks.

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