Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi in ​​his inaugural address to the state assembly on Wednesday explained that the state believes that entrance exams like the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) create an unequal platform against rural students and that it is not necessary. It comes even as he faces criticism for failing to send the bill banning NEETs in Tamil Nadu to President Ram Nath Kovind.

“Entrance exams create an uneven platform by being inherently discriminatory against rural students. Therefore, this government strongly believes that entrance exams like NEET are not necessary for the admission of students to vocational courses and will continue to reiterate this position, ”said Ravi.

DMK House leader TR Baalu ​​in Delhi told reporters on Wednesday that Ravi had to step down for not sending the bill to the president. “He has no choice but to send it. How long will he keep it? Baalu ​​said. “When the governor does not follow the procedure, he must resign and leave. DMK’s ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) left the assembly, accusing the governor of “sitting on” the bill. KS Alagiri, chairman of the Tamil Nadu Congress committee, which is also part of the ruling coalition, pointed out that Tamil Nadu MPs have attempted to meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah three times, on this subject. “But he refused to meet them. Its action is reprehensible.

The Undergraduate Medical Courses Bill, 2021, was passed by the DMK-led state government in the state assembly with the support of all parties except the BJP, in September. The bill aims to restore Tamil Nadu’s medical admissions process by considering only 12 class grades, similarly retracting before the Supreme Court made NEET mandatory in 2017. But according to a response from RTI from the governor’s office in December, the bill is under consideration. , even though it’s been three months. The AIADMK passed a similar bill in 2017 calling for the NEET exemption, but it was rejected by the president. DMK’s poll promise was to abolish NEET. It’s a burning issue in the state since more than a dozen medical aspirants, mostly from poor and rural backgrounds, committed suicide after the competition became compulsory.

Ravi took office as governor on September 18 after then-governor Banwarilal Purohit was transferred to the Punjab.

On Wednesday, Ravi began his 45-minute speech by congratulating Chief Minister MP Stalin for ‘galvanizing’ the entire government apparatus after taking office in May and praising the government’s efforts in May. ‘State to immediately contain the second wave of Covid-19 and increase vaccination coverage. “In just seven months, thanks to the concerted efforts of this government, immunization coverage was increased to 86% for the second dose, with a total of 8.55 crore of doses administered,” said the governor. At the time, members of the main opposition, AIADMK, were on their feet, with opposition leader Edappadi Palaniswami criticizing the DMK regime and the party staging a walkout.

The governor affirmed the state’s position on sharing river water with neighboring states by opposing Karnataka’s Mekedatu reservoir project on the Cauvery River and declaring his intention to take the necessary measures to restore the 152 foot full reservoir level (FRL) in the Mullaperiyar Dam located in Kerala. . “While extending constructive cooperation to neighboring states, Tamil Nadu will continue to fight for its fair share of river waters,” he said.

Ravi stressed that Tamil Nadu will continue to implement a dual language policy of using Tamil and English amid state protests against a National Education Policy (NEP). He also said that this government is urging the GST Council and the Union Ministry of Finance to maintain the GST compensation until at least June 2024, as the state finances have not yet recovered. due to the Covid pandemic. And as Tamil Nadu sought ??6,230 crores, he urged the Union government to release funds from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) shortly after heavy flooding caused damage in November 2021.

The Governor also announced that the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Foundations (HR & CE) will establish a Publishing Division to publish books that speak about the rich history and temple architecture of Tamil Nadu. In addition, they will also launch a campaign to preserve the rare palm leaf manuscripts available in temples and mutts.

Following the governor’s speech, Assembly Speaker M Appavu informed that the Assembly’s first session this year will continue until January 7.