Tamil Nadu CM Vijay pushes for scrapping NEET after paper leak, seeks admissions based on class 12 marks

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thiru C Joseph Vijay has demanded scrapping the NEET-based admission system for medical courses, calling for states to be allowed to admit students based on Class 12 marks instead. His statement comes a day after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination following reports of a widespread paper leak, triggering fresh debate over the credibility of the national-level entrance test.

‘System has repeatedly failed,’ says Vijay 

In an official statement, Chief Minister Vijay said the repeated incidents of paper leaks have exposed deep structural flaws in the examination system. He pointed out that NEET UG 2026 was conducted across 5,432 centres nationwide and saw over 22 lakh candidates appear, including around 1.4 lakh students from Tamil Nadu alone.

According to him, the cancellation has left lakhs of medical aspirants across the country “disheartened and uncertain about their future.”

“This is not the first time such a situation has happened. A similar leak was reported in 2024 as well, which led to investigations and FIRs in multiple states,” he said. Demand to scrap NEET and return to state-based admission 

Reiterating Tamil Nadu’s long-standing position, Vijay said the state has consistently opposed NEET since its introduction. He argued that the exam has disproportionately affected students from rural backgrounds, government schools, Tamil-medium education systems and economically weaker sections.

The Chief Minister said the state government should be allowed to admit students into MBBS, BDS and AYUSH courses based on Class 12 marks under the state quota system.

“The introduction of NEET has created unequal opportunities for students. We believe admission should reflect school performance rather than a single national test,” he said.

Fresh call after exam cancellation 

Vijay also said that the latest cancellation proves the need for a complete rethink of the system. He noted that despite earlier reforms and expert recommendations, including a 95-point report by a committee headed by former ISRO chairman Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, similar issues continue to occur.

He added that repeated leaks have eroded trust in the exam process and questioned whether a centralised test is suitable for a country with such a large and diverse student population.

Push for reform in exam structure 

Alongside his demand to scrap NEET, Vijay referred to expert suggestions for reforming the examination system. Some education experts have proposed shifting NEET to a computer-based or hybrid model, where questions are delivered digitally while answers are marked on OMR sheets. The idea is aimed at reducing leak risks and improving security.

This is not the first time Vijay has spoken against NEET. Even before becoming Chief Minister, he had repeatedly criticised the exam, calling it unfair for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In earlier remarks, he had also argued for restoring education fully to the State List, saying centralised policies often ignore local educational realities.

He has maintained that diversity in education systems is a strength and that students from rural areas often face an uneven playing field under national-level competitive exams.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay proves majority, secures trust vote with 144 MLAs after AIADMK split