The debate over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) did not begin with the recent controversies surrounding the National Testing Agency (NTA). Several states have raised concerns about the centralised medical entrance examination for years, with Tamil Nadu among its most consistent critics.

NEET was conducted nationally from 2013, and the Supreme Court made it mandatory for medical admissions in 2016. At the time, states including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh had opposed the common examination and sought separate admission processes.

One major concern has been the difference between state-board and CBSE curricula. Critics have argued that students from state boards, particularly those from rural and lower-income backgrounds, could face greater pressure to rely on private coaching to compete in a national-level test.

Tamil Nadu has also linked its opposition to questions of social equity and educational autonomy. A state-appointed committee headed by Justice A K Rajan reported that the representation of rural, Tamil-medium, lower-income and state-board students in medical admissions declined after NEET was introduced.

The issue has also triggered repeated political and legislative efforts in Tamil Nadu to secure exemption from NEET.

With the NTA now facing broader scrutiny over examination conduct and security, these older concerns have returned to the national debate. The Centre’s examination-reform exercise is examining the wider system, including the NTA’s governance and processes.