CM Stalin opposes NEET for Allied and Health Care Courses

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday (January 24, 2026) said that admission modalities for Allied and Health Care Courses (AHCs) fall within the jurisdiction of the State Government and that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) should be kept out of these admissions.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that the decision of the National Commission for Allied and Health Care Professions (NCAHP) making NEET mandatory for admission to two undergraduate degree courses—Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) and Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT)—was a “hasty and ad hoc decision” with “multiple deleterious consequences”.

Pointing out that Tamil Nadu had consistently opposed NEET for MBBS admissions and had repeatedly cautioned against the danger of its extension to other courses, he said the State’s worst apprehensions had now come true.

“It is evident from recent communications from the Union Health Ministry that NEET is being prescribed for these two courses as the first step in a larger plan to make it mandatory for all Allied and Health Care Courses in the future. This attempt, being made without due consultation with State Governments—who are constitutionally responsible for both the health and education sectors—is totally unacceptable to us,” he said.

Expensive NEET coaching classes

The Chief Minister said that the introduction of NEET for MBBS admissions had forced 1.4 lakh students to rely on expensive coaching classes and sit for the examination to compete for just 12,000 seats.

“This has created unnecessary costs, stress and anxiety for families, and has rendered performance in school examinations redundant. Extending this flawed model to a wider range of AHCs will only aggravate the situation,” he said.

Mr. Stalin further noted that Tamil Nadu has more than 50,000 seats in Allied and Health Care Courses, and that lakhs of aspirants for these programmes come from far poorer socio-economic backgrounds than MBBS candidates.

“Hence, forcing these families to spend money on NEET coaching would amount to a gross injustice,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the mandate needed to be reviewed and the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) instructed to withdraw the decision immediately. “Given the urgency of the issue, I look forward to your personal intervention,” he added.