Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday said for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination to be abolished, education needs to be moved from the Concurrent list to the State list.

In a remark that assumes significance in light of the death of a NEET examinee after failing to clear the exam for a second time, the CM said, “Education should be moved to the State List, as this is the only way NEET could be abolished. Tamil Nadu is contributing to various sectors such as Education. Medicine, economy, agriculture, human resource, and export, among others,” he added.

Earlier Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin criticised the central government following the death of a father and son over the latter’s failure to clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), saying that the state will fight against the exams “legally”.

He added that NEET victimised children and was now driving even their parents to death.

He further said the Centre should understand the mental state of Tamil Nadu students and their parents.

He further alleged that the reason for such deaths is that the Governor failed his duty to cancel NEET twice in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, adding that he shelved it and sent it back.

Claiming that a solution to this problem will only come after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Udayanidhi urged the medical aspirants in the state to be calm and self-confident

After hoisting the tricolour on the 77th Independence Day at St George Fort, CM Stalin said, “I feel proud and privileged to hoist our national flag at St George Fort. I also thank the people of Tamil Nadu as they made it possible for me to raise the tricolour here. It was (later former CM and DMK patriarch) Karunanidhi, who got the sanction for the CMs to raise the national flag in their respective states on Independence Day.”

He added that past Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) governments also contributed to the national cause on numerous occasions. “Previous DMK governments took many important steps for the welfare of freedom fighters. In 1962, when India faced a threat from China and eventually went to war with the neighbouring country, our Anna (Karunanidhi) stood with then PM Nehru. It was our Karunanidhi, who raised funds worth Rs 25 crore and gave it to PM Indra Gandhi in 1971 when India faced military threats from Pakistan. Even during the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan, we raised Rs 50 crores and gave it to PM (Atal Bihar) Vajpayee. Today’s Dravidian model of government also functions in the interest of our freedom fighters,” CM Stalin said.

“Pension for freedom fighters has been increased from Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000 and the pension for the surviving kin of freedom fighters has been raised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 11,000,” the CM added.

CM Stalin further announced the setting up of a centenary park and the filling up of vacancies in state government.

“55,000 vacancies in various government departments will be filled in the current financial year. Kalaignar centenary park will be established on 6.09 acres on Cathedral Road in Chennai. A scheme to provide training to 10000 ex-servicemen will be implemented at a cost of Rs 7 crore,” he said.