Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK leader Vijay raised two major issues.
At the Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday — exemption from NEET and protection of the southern states’ parliamentary representation under the proposed delimitation exercise.
Making his first appearance at the council meeting since becoming chief minister, Vijay also called for greater cooperation among southern states on issues including drug abuse, coastal security and the blue economy.
Vijay Seeks NEET Exemption For Tamil Nadu
Vijay urged the Centre to exempt Tamil Nadu from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), arguing that the exam places rural and economically disadvantaged students at a disadvantage.
According to sources, the TVK chief asked the Centre to allow Tamil Nadu to admit students to MBBS, BDS and AYUSH courses based on Class 12 marks instead of NEET scores.
Tamil Nadu has opposed NEET for years, with successive state governments arguing that the examination undermines the state’s school-based admission system and limits access to medical education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Vijay has also previously called for education to be moved from the Concurrent List back to the State List.
The demand has gained renewed attention following the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG examination and subsequent student protests.
Concern Over Delimitation
Vijay’s second major demand centred on the proposed delimitation of parliamentary constituencies.
The Centre has linked the exercise to the implementation of 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha. Southern states, however, have expressed concern that a population-based delimitation could reduce their share of parliamentary seats because of their success in controlling population growth.
Vijay said southern states had made significant progress in population stabilisation, human development and economic growth and should not be penalised for achieving national policy goals.
“The southern states have been at the forefront of population stabilisation, human development, and economic growth,” Vijay said, according to sources.
He called for a legislative assurance that no state would see a reduction in its percentage share of parliamentary representation because of its success in population control.
“Public policy must not inadvertently penalise states for fulfilling national objectives,” he said.
The delimitation issue has emerged as a major political concern across southern India, with states arguing that using population figures to redraw constituencies could shift greater political representation towards states with faster population growth.
Vijay also urged the Centre and southern states to strengthen cooperation on interstate drug abuse, coastal security and the blue economy.
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