Chennai: DMK MP and party Treasurer T.R. Baalu on Tuesday appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to direct Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit to give his assent to the reservation Bill for government school students in medical courses.
Baalu, in a letter, requested Shah to direct Purohit to give his assent immediately to the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Courses in Medicine, Dentistry, Indian Medicine and Homeopathy on preferential basis to the students of the Government Schools Bill, 2020 and help fulfil the dream of government school students in pursuing medicine as their profession in this academic year itself.
He said that the Tamil Nadu government had set up a committee headed by former High Court judge to analyse the impact of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on government school students from academic year 2017-2018, and following its recommendations, the Bill to provide horizontal reservation of 7.5 per cent in NEET examination for government school students was passed unanimously in the state Assembly on September 15 and sent to the Governor for his assent.
Baalu said in a letter to DMK President M.K. Stalin on October 22, Purohit had said he would need another 3 to 4 weeks to decide on the bill – after holding back this very important Bill for about 40 days.
“As it is an affront to the sovereignty of the TN Assembly and also to the cooperative federalism, DMK organised a peaceful and democratic protest in front of Raj Bhavan on 24th Oct 2020 and my leader Thiru. M.K.Stalin appealed to the Governor to give assent to the Bill without any further delay,” he said.
With the counselling dates for medical college admission having been announced, any further delay in assent to the Bill will be detrimental to the future of government school students aspring to pursue medical education and the objects of the bill will be rendered infructuous as far as this academic year is concerned, Baalu added.
