The Tamil Nadu Government has opposed the Centre's move to introduce the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Examination for admission into under-graduate and post-graduate medical courses. The contention is that it will “interfere with the rights of the State Government in administering the education system and create problems in implementing the reservation policy.”
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Ms J. Jayalalithaa, said that Tamil Nadu has also been able to manage its medical manpower requirement in rural areas due to the large number of rural students who get admission in undergraduate courses of Government medical colleges due to the existing admission policy.
Tamil Nadu has been following 69 per cent reservation for Backward and Most Backward Communities and Scheduled Castes and Tribes in professional courses.
The State has also reserved 50 per cent of its Post Graduate medical seats for doctors who have completed three years of rural service with special weightage for those working in hilly and tribal areas. The Government has also obtained and enforced bonds from those completing post-graduate education in government medical colleges to serve the State for a minimum period, which has helped to meet the need for specialised medical manpower.
“It will be legally difficult to implement these policy initiatives if a Common Entrance Test is introduced as we would have to fall in line with the regulations of the national test, which may not have such enabling provisions,” said Ms Jayalalithaa.
The introduction of a Common Entrance Test will create confusion and litigation in the smooth implementation of this reservation policy both in undergraduate and postgraduate admissions, she says, in the letter to Dr Manmohan Singh.
“I request that Tamil Nadu may be exempted from the test and allowed to continue with its existing system for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats.”
“The Government of Tamil Nadu has taken steps since 2005 and finally abolished the entrance examination for professional courses from 2007–2008. This was done after detailed examination by an expert committee which found that rural students and students from lower socio economic backgrounds are unable to compete with the urban elite students in such common entrance examinations as they lack the requisite training institutions and materials.”
“….A large number of socially and economically backward meritorious rural students have benefited because of the decision to abolish the common entrance examination for professional courses.”