Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay called for the abolition of the NEET-UG medical entrance examination on Wednesday [1].
The demand follows a controversy involving a paper leak that led to the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 exam [1]. This move signals a significant escalation in the long-standing tension between the Tamil Nadu state government and the Union Government of India over the centralized medical admission process.
Vijay said the latest paper leak controversy has exposed the “structural flaws” in the national-level examination system [1]. He said the current framework is susceptible to failures that jeopardize the fairness of the selection process for aspiring doctors.
As an alternative to the national test, Vijay said that admissions to medical colleges should be based on students' Class-12 marks [1]. By removing the entrance exam, the state aims to return to a system where secondary school performance determines eligibility for higher medical education.
The Chief Minister addressed his concerns to the Union Government, saying that the integrity of the examination system has been compromised [1]. The call for abolition comes amid widespread student unrest across the state, a reaction to the instability caused by the 2026 leaks [1].
While the Union Government has managed previous controversies surrounding the exam, the demand for a total shift to Class-12 marks represents a fundamental challenge to the National Testing Agency's authority [1]. Vijay said the current system no longer serves the interests of the students it is meant to evaluate [1].
“The latest paper leak controversy has exposed the “structural flaws” in the national-level examination system.”
The demand to replace NEET-UG with Class-12 marks reflects a broader regional push for educational autonomy in Tamil Nadu. By citing structural flaws and paper leaks, the state government is attempting to frame the abolition of the exam as a matter of systemic integrity and student welfare rather than a purely political disagreement with the central government.
