Kamal Haasan Demands Abolition of NEET and Clearance of Tamil Nadu Exemption Bill

CHENNAI — Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president Kamal Haasan has called for the complete abolition of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), arguing that the existing examination framework creates an inherent mismatch between school education and college entrance examinations.

In a statement shared on social media platform X, Mr. Haasan highlighted findings from the Union government’s Vineet Joshi Committee. He stated that the committee had formally acknowledged the disconnect between the curriculum taught to students in schools and the testing patterns used for higher education admissions.

Addressing the ongoing debate over medical entrance examinations, Mr. Haasan urged the Central government to grant clearance to Tamil Nadu’s NEET Exemption Bill. The legislative bill, passed by the state, is currently awaiting Presidential assent. He emphasised that administrative focus should be directed toward ending what he described as an unfair system rather than attempting to reform it.

While demanding an end to NEET, Mr. Haasan endorsed the Vineet Joshi Committee's recommendations for other entrance examinations across the country. These measures include assigning greater weightage to Class 12 board examination marks, permitting students to make multiple examination attempts throughout the year, and placing a restriction on coaching hours to between two and three hours per day.