Hindi English Translation || Editorial || NEET and States: On Tamil Nadu Assembly re-adopting the anti-NEET bill

NEET and States: On Tamil Nadu Assembly re-adopting the anti-NEET bill

Governor should not delay assent (अनुमति देना, स्वीकृति, सहमति) to T.N.’s Bill for exemption (छूट, बहिष्करण) from mandatory admission test

With the Tamil Nadu Assembly passing once again its earlier Bill seeking to exempt (मुक्त करना, रहित करना, माफ़ करना) government seats in undergraduate medical and dental courses from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) (The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) as a uniform entrance examination for admission to various undergraduate medical courses in approved/recognized Medical/Dental /AYUSH and other Colleges/ Deemed Universities /Institutes (AIIMS & JIPMER) in India, as per Section 14 of The National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019 and relevant Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER) 1997, as amended from time to time), the ball is once again in the court of Governor R.N. Ravi. The Governor had chosen to return to the House for reconsideration (पुनर्विचार, समीक्षा) the Bill that was passed in September 2021, questioning the tenability (विश्वसनीयता, स्थायित्व) of the Justice A.K. Rajan Committee Report that had given its findings (निष्कर्ष, निर्णय, विष्कर्ष परिणाम) in favour of (के पक्ष में, के समर्थन में) the the passage (मार्ग, अधिनियमन, पारित करना) of such a law. The DMK regime (government) has thrown down the gauntlet (to issue a challenge (whereas “take/pick up the gauntlet” means “to accept a challenge; ‘gauntlet’ literally means ‘a medieval, armoured/protective gloves’ and it figuratively means ‘an open challenge’) as the Constitution is clear as far as (जहाँ तक कि, इस हद तक कि।) the Governor’s course of action (क्रियाविधि, दृष्टिकोण, प्रक्रिया) is concerned. If the Bill is presented to him again, Mr. Ravi is constitutionally bound to (बाध्य, दायित्व के तहत, मजबूर) grant assent. It is a matter of speculation (अनुमान, कल्पना) whether the Bill will obtain presidential nod (acknowledgement; a sign (of approval)), but the episode (प्रकरण) raises a question whether the Governor could not have avoided the current situation by reserving the Bill for the President instead of returning it. After all, this is clearly a Bill that requires the President’s acceptance — the exemption from NEET is in conflict with (के साथ संघर्ष में, इसके विपरीत, असंगत) the central law that makes it mandatory and, therefore, can only be saved by the President’s assent. Regardless (irrespective of, without regard to, notwithstanding) of the Bill’s merits (good point, strong point, advantage, benefit, value), the Governor should delay the matter no further. The original intent (intention, purpose, aim, objective, goal) of the Constitution makers was that the Governor, under Article 200, ought to (must, should) have no discretion (choice, option, preference, volition), save (except, except for, apart from, but for, other than, besides) in the case of a law that undermines (weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage) the position of the High Court, which he is bound to reserve for the President’s consideration. However, the Governor’s rare use of discretion to question the desirability (appeal, advisability, advantage, expedience, benefit, merit, value) or validity of a Bill, and ask for reconsideration (examination, scrutiny, analysis, review) is now a matter of constitutional (legal, lawful, legitimate) practice.

Some parts of the Governor’s communication (message, statement, report, communiqué, letter) to the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha; Legislative Assembly is the lower house, much like the Lok Sabha of the Parliament. Members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected by the people through assembly elections. The term of the Legislative Assembly is five years (unless it is dissolved earlier). A member of a legislative Assembly is referred to as an MLA) Speaker seem to suggest that Mr. Ravi disagrees with the basis for the Bill, even though he is not wrong in highlighting (underline, underscore, emphasize) a Supreme Court decision in favour of NEET. It is not generally desirable for the Governor to seek (ask for, request, appeal for) to match wits with the legislature’s wisdom on social inputs that inform policy. It will be useful to recall (remember, recollect, call to mind, think of) that the Sarkaria Commission (The Sarkaria Commission (under the Chairmanship of Justice R.S. Sarkaria with Shri B. Sivaraman and Dr. S.R. Sen as its member) was set up in 1983 by the central government of India. The Sarkaria Commission was set up to examine and review the working of the existing arrangements between the Union and States in regard to powers, functions and responsibilities in all spheres and recommend such changes or other measures as may be appropriate) on Centre-State relations observed that the Governor should not act contrary to (conflicting with, opposed to) the advice of the Council of Ministers merely because he did not like the policy embodied (include, consolidate, encompass, assimilate, integrate) in the Bill. The attention will now be on whether the NEET Exemption Bill will pass muster (be acceptable, be practical, be justifiable, be convincing, make sense). For one thing (saying one reason among several reasons), the exemption may not be a solution to the problem of government school students not making it to MBBS courses in sufficient numbers. The situation prior to the introduction of NEET was no better. However, the issue of NEET being a barrier to access is genuine. There is no doubt that the mandatory nature of NEET on a pan-India basis undermines the role of State governments in medical education. As the main deliverers of public health (the branch of medicine handling public health; public health is also the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities through education, policy making and research for disease and injury prevention), the States cannot be denied a say (influence, sway, weight, authority) in who joins medical courses in government colleges.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.assent (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनुमति देना, स्वीकृति, सहमति
English Meaning - approval, agreement, concurrence, acceptance.

2.exemption (noun)

Hindi Meaning - छूट, बहिष्करण
English Meaning - exclusion.

3.exempt (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मुक्त करना, रहित करना, माफ़ करना
English Meaning - exclude.

4.reconsideration (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पुनर्विचार, समीक्षा
English Meaning - review, rethink, reassessment, re-evaluation.

5.tenability (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विश्वसनीयता, स्थायित्व
English Meaning - reasonableness, plausibility, believability, acceptability.

6.findings (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निष्कर्ष, निर्णय, विष्कर्ष परिणाम
English Meaning - conclusion, decision, recommendation.

7.in favour of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के पक्ष में, के समर्थन में
English Meaning - in support of, to the advantage of, approving of.

8.passage (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मार्ग, अधिनियमन, पारित करना
English Meaning - enactment, passing, ratification, acceptance, approval.

9.as far as - is concerned (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - जहां तक मतलब है
English Meaning - with regard to a particular person or situation.

10.as far as (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - जहाँ तक कि, इस हद तक कि।
English Meaning - to the extent that.

11.course of action (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - क्रियाविधि, दृष्टिकोण, प्रक्रिया
English Meaning - method, approach, procedure, plan of action.

12.bound to (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बाध्य, दायित्व के तहत, मजबूर
English Meaning - obligated, obliged, under obligation, compelled, required, duty-bound

13.speculation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनुमान, कल्पना
English Meaning - prediction, guesswork, supposition, surmise, notion, opinion/thought.

14.episode (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रकरण
English Meaning - a group of events; incident, event, occurrence.

15.in conflict with (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के साथ संघर्ष में, इसके विपरीत, असंगत
English Meaning - contrary to, incompatible with, in opposition to, differing from, not in accord with, at variance with.

16.National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) (noun)

English Meaning - The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) as a uniform entrance examination for admission to various undergraduate medical courses in approved/recognized Medical/Dental /AYUSH and other Colleges/ Deemed Universities /Institutes (AIIMS & JIPMER) in India, as per Section 14 of The National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019 and relevant Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER) 1997, as amended from time to time.

17.readopt (verb)

English Meaning - approve, endorse, ratify or validate something again.

18.Bill (noun)

English Meaning - A Bill is a draft statute that becomes law after it is passed by Parliament ( for nationwide statute) / Legislative Assembly (for statewide statute) and assented to by the President. All legislative proposals are brought before Parliament/Legislative Assembly in the forms of Bills.

19.seek (verb)

English Meaning - ask for, request, appeal for.

20.the ball is in your court (phrase)

English Meaning - it is now your responsibility or your turn to take action; it is up to you to take action now.

21.regime (noun)

English Meaning - government.

22.throw down the gauntlet (phrase)

English Meaning - to issue a challenge (whereas “take/pick up the gauntlet” means “to accept a challenge; ‘gauntlet’ literally means ‘a medieval, armoured/protective gloves’ and it figuratively means ‘an open challenge’.

23.nod (noun)

English Meaning - acknowledgement; a sign (of approval).

24.reserve (verb)

English Meaning - keep, hold, withhold, earmark or give something (a resource) to a particular person.

25.set aside (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - keep, reserve, earmark, withhold, save, reserve, put aside.

26.regardless (adverb)

English Meaning - irrespective of, without regard to, notwithstanding.

27.merit (noun)

English Meaning - good point, strong point, advantage, benefit, value.

28.intent (noun)

English Meaning - intention, purpose, aim, objective, goal.

29.Article 200 of the Constitution of India (noun)

English Meaning - it explains about “Assent to Bills”.

30.ought to (modal verb)

English Meaning - must, should.

31.discretion (noun)

English Meaning - choice, option, preference, volition.

32.save (preposition)

English Meaning - except, except for, apart from, but for, other than, besides.

33.undermine (verb)

English Meaning - weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage.

34.consideration (noun)

English Meaning - examination, scrutiny, analysis, review.

35.desirability (noun)

English Meaning - appeal, advisability, advantage, expedience, benefit, merit, value.

36.ask for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - seek, request, urge, demand.

37.constitutional (adjective)

English Meaning - legal, lawful, legitimate.

38.communication (noun)

English Meaning - message, statement, report, communiqué, letter.

39.Legislative Assembly (noun)

English Meaning - Vidhan Sabha; Legislative Assembly is the lower house, much like the Lok Sabha of the Parliament. Members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected by the people through assembly elections. The term of the Legislative Assembly is five years (unless it is dissolved earlier). A member of a legislative Assembly is referred to as an MLA.

40.highlight (verb)

English Meaning - underline, underscore, emphasize.

41.wits (noun)

English Meaning - wisdom, intelligence, astuteness, cleverness; discernment, perception, insight, understanding.

42.legislature (noun)

English Meaning - law-making body or governing body; parliament, congress, assembly.

43.recall (verb)

English Meaning - remember, recollect, call to mind, think of.

44.Sarkaria Commission (noun)

English Meaning - The Sarkaria Commission (under the Chairmanship of Justice R.S. Sarkaria with Shri B. Sivaraman and Dr. S.R. Sen as its member) was set up in 1983 by the central government of India. The Sarkaria Commission was set up to examine and review the working of the existing arrangements between the Union and States in regard to powers, functions and responsibilities in all spheres and recommend such changes or other measures as may be appropriate.

45.contrary to (phrase)

English Meaning - conflicting with, opposed to.

46.embody (verb)

English Meaning - include, consolidate, encompass, assimilate, integrate.

47.pass muster (phrase)

English Meaning - be acceptable, be practical, be justifiable, be convincing, make sense.

48.for one thing (phrase)

English Meaning - saying one reason among several reasons.

49.pan- (combining form)

English Meaning - all inclusive of, all.

50.public health (noun)

English Meaning - the branch of medicine handling public health; public health is also the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities through education, policy making and research for disease and injury prevention.

51.say (noun)

English Meaning - influence, sway, weight, authority.