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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin
In his Independence Day speech from Fort St George, Chief Minister MK Stalin said that the 'Education' subject must be transferred back to the State List so that exams like NEET could be abolished.
At present, Education is in the Concurrent List. It was transferred from the State List through the 42nd Amendment brought by the Indira Gandhi government during the Emergency.
Some of the other important announcements were-
formation of a welfare board for gig workers who are associated with companies such as Zomato, Swiggy, Ola, Uber, etc.
extension of the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme to all state-run schools from 25 August
increase in monthly pension for freedom fighters and their families from Rs 10000 to Rs 11000
55000 vacancies in state government jobs to be filled during the current financial year
a park in memory of former chief minister M Karunanidhi called 'Kalaignar Centenary Park' with an area of around 6 acres to be established at Cathedral Road at a cost of Rs 25 crore
According to political commentators, the inclusion of NEET in his Independence Day speech was expected as it was just yesterday (14 August) that he had criticised Governor RN Ravi for his remarks stating that he would not grant assent to the Bill to exempt the state from NEET if it were up to him and announced a boycott of the 'At Home Reception' at the Raj Bhavan.
As the Bill was referred to the President by Governor Ravi, Chief Minister Stalin wrote a letter to President Droupadi Murmu yesterday requesting her to grant assent.