India
Tamil Nadu Withdraws 65 Criminal Cases Against 1,800 Anti‑NEET Protesters
The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn 65 criminal cases that were registered against roughly 1,800 people who participated in protests against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). The order was issued following the Chief Minister’s instruction after the details of the cases were brought to his attention. The protests, which took place across the state from May 10 to July 31, called for the scrapping of NEET, the national entrance exam for medical courses. The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which came to power in May, has supported the demand to abolish NEET and has urged that education be moved from the Concurrent List to the State List of the Constitution. The Vijay administration has also suggested that admissions to medical courses in the state be based on Class 12 examination marks, a stance previously adopted by the DMK government.