TRICHY: Parties cutting across political affiliation, barring the BJP, have come out in support of the state government's persistent demand to exempt Tamil Nadu from the national eligibility cum entrance test (NEET) for MBBS/ BDS admissions.State president of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) S Thirunavukkarasar on Tuesday urged the union government to give exemption to MBBS aspirants in Tamil Nadu from NEET this year taking into consideration their interests.A resolution was passed in this regard at the executive committee meeting of Tamil Maanila Congress also. Its leader G K Vasan said the union government should make efforts for the bill passed in the state assembly to get presidential nod. Vasan said that similar exemption should be provided for students to get into technical institutions as well.Rajya Sabha MP Trichy Siva had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard a couple of days ago and handed over a letter from DMK working president M K Stalin. Stalin in his letter had highlighted the need for barefoot doctors to serve in rural areas for effective health care system. Not ruling out the need for quality in medical service, he had also said that NEET would affect the interests of rural students.However, the state BJP has chosen not to toe the line of other regional parties on the matter saying that NEET would open opportunities for aspirants to study in other states as well. Party state president Dr Tamilisai Soudararajan has said that NEET has been grossly misunderstood in the state. It had only created opportunities for medical aspirants in the state, be it from rural, urban or economically disadvantaged sections."While the state has been allowed to follow its reservation norms for admissions, NEET also provides opportunity for economically underprivileged students to get admission in private medical colleges. The claim of the state government that our students cannot compete with students from other states is unacceptable and unbelievable. Our students are doing exceptionally well in civil services examinations," she had said.

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