CM Vijay Tells Nilekani-Led Task Force Tamil Nadu Opposes NEET, Bats for Class 12 Marks

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday reiterated the state's opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and called for its abolition during a meeting with a Centre-appointed task force on examination reforms, headed by Nandan Nilekani.

Nilekani, chairman of the High Powered Task Force (HPTF), called on Vijay at the Secretariat here. Other members of the panel, including IIT-Madras Director V Kamakoti, former Union Education Secretary Anita Karwal and EkStep Foundation CEO Shankar Maruwada, were also present at the meeting.

According to an official release, the Tamil Nadu government firmly conveyed its opposition to NEET and similar examinations for admission to higher education courses. It maintained that Class 12 examination marks should be the basis for admissions instead of conducting separate entrance tests.

The state also highlighted that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution opposing NEET on August 11, 2026.

Reiterating its position, the government recommended the abolition of NEET and similar entrance examinations for admission to medical and other courses, the release said.

The Centre constituted the High Powered Task Force in August this year, with Nilekani as its chairman, to examine and recommend comprehensive reforms concerning the conduct, security, design and governance of public examinations, including those conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The panel has been tasked with examining measures to strengthen institutional systems, ensure examination integrity and security, deploy appropriate technologies and improve examination infrastructure.

Its mandate also includes promoting accessibility and inclusion and safeguarding student well-being, with the objective of developing a robust, secure, transparent and equitable public examination system.