Tamil Nadu to Nilekani panel: scrap NEET, admit on Class 12 marks
By TUF News Desk · Published 5 November 2026 · 3 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Tamil Nadu wants NEET gone, and it has now said so directly to the panel reviewing how India runs its national exams. At a meeting in Chennai on Wednesday, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay told Nandan Nilekani, chairman of the Centre’s High Powered Task Force on Examination Reforms, that the state wants NEET and similar entrance tests scrapped, with Class 12 marks deciding admissions instead.
The meeting took place at the Secretariat on November 4. Alongside Nilekani were Indian Institute of Technology Madras Director V Kamakoti, former Union Education Secretary Anita Karwal and EkStep Foundation chief executive Shankar Maruwada. School Education Minister A Rajmohan and Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar were also present, according to reports of the meeting.
The state government pointed to the resolution the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed unanimously on August 11, 2026, opposing NEET. In the meeting, it repeated the position it has held for years: a single national test should not decide who gets into a medical college, and school exam results should carry that weight instead.
Why Tamil Nadu opposes NEET
Before NEET became the only route into undergraduate medical courses, Tamil Nadu admitted students to its medical colleges on the basis of their Class 12 marks. State leaders have argued ever since that the national test puts state-board students at a disadvantage against students who follow the national syllabus and can afford specialised coaching. A state education body, the State Platform for Common School System, Tamil Nadu, had already urged the task force to scrap the National Testing Agency and all centralised undergraduate entrance tests.
What the panel is deciding
The task force is examining how public examinations are conducted and secured, including the tests run by the National Testing Agency. Its tenure has been extended till January 2027 so it can consult chief ministers and chief secretaries before finalising its recommendations. Tamil Nadu’s demand adds a separate question to that work: whether entrance tests themselves should stay at all, rather than simply how they are run.
Nothing changes for aspirants yet. NEET-UG remains the gateway to undergraduate medical courses, with around 25 lakh candidates appearing each year, and no decision on its future has been taken. Students preparing for the 2027 exam should follow the pattern already announced and check the official NEET website for updates.
For students weighing where to apply once results are out, our guide to choosing a university in India sets out the trade-offs, and our earlier report on the panel’s extended deadline explains what else is under discussion.
Frequently asked questions
Has NEET been scrapped?
No. Tamil Nadu has asked the exam reforms task force to recommend scrapping it, but no decision has been taken and NEET-UG remains the route into undergraduate medical courses.
What does Tamil Nadu want instead of NEET?
Admissions based on Class 12 marks. Before NEET, the state admitted medical students on their school exam results.
Who attended the meeting with the task force?
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay met Nandan Nilekani, the task force chairman, along with IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti, former Union Education Secretary Anita Karwal and EkStep chief executive Shankar Maruwada.
When will the task force submit its report?
Its tenure runs till January 2027, after consultations with chief ministers and chief secretaries.
Frequently asked questions
Has NEET been scrapped?
No. Tamil Nadu has asked the exam reforms task force to recommend scrapping it, but no decision has been taken and NEET-UG remains the route into undergraduate medical courses.
What does Tamil Nadu want instead of NEET?
Admissions based on Class 12 marks. Before NEET, the state admitted medical students on their school exam results.
Who attended the meeting with the task force?
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay met Nandan Nilekani, the task force chairman, along with IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti, former Union Education Secretary Anita Karwal and EkStep chief executive Shankar Maruwada.
When will the task force submit its report?
Its tenure runs till January 2027, after consultations with chief ministers and chief secretaries.
Sources: The Times of India, The Indian Express, Times Now