SDPGA's principled advocacy for social justice, state federalism, and the preservation of Tamil Nadu's rural public healthcare model.
A fair admissions system is essential to social justice and Tamil Nadu's rural health service.
The Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association (SDPGA) stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the people and legislature of Tamil Nadu in demanding the abolition of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
Tamil Nadu has built one of India's most effective two-tier public healthcare systems — where tertiary care medical college hospitals and grassroots Primary Health Centres function in close harmony. This framework was made possible because admissions reflected the socioeconomic diversity of the state.
Tamil Nadu established 36+ Government Medical Colleges across the state to ensure that local students from rural and government school backgrounds could train as doctors and subsequently serve in their home districts, taluk hospitals, and Primary Health Centres.
NEET primarily evaluates an applicant's ability to afford multi-lakh private coaching academy packages rather than testing clinical aptitude or compassionate care. This systematically disadvantages first-generation learners and students from government schools.
Service doctors who work round-the-clock in remote, hill, and tribal PHCs depend on state in-service reservations to pursue post-graduate specialization. Centralized examination structures dilute this vital incentive that keeps qualified medical officers in public service.
Under the Constitution of India, Public Health, Hospitals, and Dispensaries fall under Entry 6 of the State List. The Government of Tamil Nadu finances, constructs, and maintains these medical colleges; admission policies must align with state healthcare priorities.
SDPGA urges the Union Government to grant presidential assent to the Tamil Nadu Assembly's unanimous legislation exempting the state from NEET. We affirm that restoring Class 12 merit-based admission protects social justice and guarantees an uninterrupted supply of dedicated doctors for Tamil Nadu's government healthcare network.
