TN Moves Supreme Court After President Withholds Assent to Anti-NEET Bill

The Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court after the President of India withheld assent to the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021. The Bill was unanimously passed by the State Legislative Assembly and aims to exempt Tamil Nadu from using NEET as the basis for admission to undergraduate medical courses.

In its petition, the State said that the communication from the Governor’s Secretariat dated March 4 showed that the assent was denied purely on the advice of the Union government and without giving any independent reasons. The government added that it had replied in detail to every concern raised by the Centre before the file was sent to the President.

Tamil Nadu argued that the President’s decision has created a “constitutional deadlock” and raised serious questions about federalism, the State’s legislative powers, and the interpretation of Articles 201 and 254(2) of the Constitution.

The plea further pointed out that NEET has faced issues such as impersonation, irregularities, and paper leaks in previous years, and that a single numerical score cannot capture qualities needed in the medical profession. The 2021 Bill proposes a scientific normalisation method for class-12 marks instead of relying solely on NEET.

The State has now sought a declaration from the Supreme Court that the President’s refusal to give assent is unconstitutional. It has also requested that the Bill be considered as “deemed to have received assent” under Article 254(2), or alternatively, that the Court direct the Centre to place the Bill before the President once again for fresh consideration.

The suit was drafted by Senior Advocate P Wilson and filed through Advocate Misha Rohatgi.