The government of Tamil Nadu is opposed to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and has urged the Center to exempt the state from the test, school education minister K A Sengottiyan said on Saturday.

The statement by the Minister comes on a day when a 19-year-old girl died in Madurai from alleged suicide, apparently apprehensive about NEET.

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Speaking to reporters at Gobichettipalayam, where he distributed old age pension orders, the minister said chief minister K Palaniswami had asked the central government to exempt students from taking the exam from the state.

“Despite government opposition, the NEET would be held in 238 centres on September 13, 2020 and 1,17,990 candidates will appear for the test”, he said.

The minister answered a query about the NEET issue.

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The girls death comes days after a young medical aspirant died of suicide in Ariyalur district, drawing sharp reaction from opposition political parties to the entry test.

On the new national education policy, the minister said, "Tamil Nadu is only for a two-language formula."

Asked about the response to students being admitted to government and government-aided schools, he said it was encouraging as 13,84 lakh students have joined the schools so far.

He said the admission would continue until this month-end and there was more student enrollment than those admitted in previous years.

The Minister also said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no possibility of reopening schools now.

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