The DMK chief was speaking while launching the expansion of the breakfast scheme for primary school children to state-aided private schools.
Published Jul 15, 2024 | 2:23 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 15, 2024 | 2:26 PM
MK Stalin (Screengrab)
Responding to the Union government’s decision to observe 25 June as “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas”, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday, 15 July, demanded to move Education from the Concurrent List to the State List of the Constitution.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on 12 July that the Emergency was declared in 1975 on 25 June and “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas” would commemorate the “massive contributions” of those who endured inhuman pains of the period.
Stalin questioned the Union government over its concern about the “gross abuse of power during the Emergency” and asked why it was not moving back education to the State List which was moved to the Concurrent list during the Emergency.
The DMK chief was speaking while launching the expansion of the breakfast scheme for primary school children to state-aided private schools.
Inaugurating the scheme at St Anne’s school in Tiruvallur district, Stalin sat alongside the children and served them food and also ate with them.
Reiterating the state’s stand against competitive entrance examinations including the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), he said: “Exams like NEET should be eradicated and that can only take place if education is moved back to the State List.”
He added that the change would provide state governments more authority over educational programs, which may aid in addressing regional demands and problems.
The chief minister underlined that by doing this, governments would be able to create state-specific educational frameworks and better adapt education to the needs and conditions of their communities.
“Education is the only asset that can never be snatched by anyone under any situation. It is the duty of the state government to impart the wealth of education (to its citizens). Hence, I appeal to the Union government to return it to the State List,” Stalin said.
“We should take special care for Tamil Nadu students, be it food or education,” Stalin said.
The move to expand the breakfast scheme will benefit 2,23,536 children in 3,995 government-aided primary schools across the state, the government said.
When the chief minister inaugurated the breakfast scheme on 15 September, 2022, 1.14 lakh students in Classes 1 to 5 studying in 1,545 government primary schools were covered under the scheme.
With the expansion of the scheme across the state on 25 August, 2023, about 18.50 lakh students in all the 30,992 state-run primary schools were brought under the initiative’s cover.
By bringing aided schools under the scheme’s ambit, in total, about 21.87 lakh students will be benefitted. Also, the scheme will be operational in both government and state-aided primary schools.
On 1 July, the DMK dubbed the NEET as an “industry” created for the “welfare” of coaching centres that rake in “several lakh crores” and said Tamil Nadu was the first state to make this clear and major parties at the national level now raise their voice against the test.
Pointing to the arrest of several people and searches by the CBI in connection with NEET-UG irregularities, DMK Tamil mouthpiece ‘Murasoli,’ said BJP’s partner, JD(U) itself has passed a resolution over the irregularities. “India’s major parties have started to raise their voice against NEET.”
On 2 July, DMK Rajya Sabha member P Wilson urged the Union government to either abolish the medical entrance exam NEET or approve Tamil Nadu’s NEET exemption Bill to exclude the state from the competitive exam.
The DMK has said time and again that the medical entrance exam NEET is against social justice, it goes against the interests of poor, rural students and favours only coaching centres. The main Opposition AIADMK and most parties in the state are opposed to NEET.
In 2013, then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa expressed concerns that NEET would undermine Tamil Nadu’s policies aimed at ensuring equitable access to medical education.
She argued that NEET, a national test with high participation costs, was misaligned with the state’s socio-economic context and would hinder students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
NEET’s implementation bypassed consultation with states, ignoring its impacts on the state’s medical infrastructure and socio-economic factors, she had said.
(With inputs from K Nitika Shivani)
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