Karnataka Assembly passes resolutions on NEET, delimitation and One Nation, One Elect
Karnataka Assembly passes resolutions on NEET, delimitation and One Nation, One Election proposal
M.U.H
25/07/2024193
The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed resolutions on the upcoming delimitation exercise and against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and the One Nation, One Election proposal.
The resolution on the delimitation exercise—to redraw boundaries for Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies and increase their numbers—pressed the Central Government to carry it out on the basis of the 1971 Census and not on “the new Census carried out in 2026, or later”.
This resolution was tabled by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil even as Opposition BJP MLAs protested in the Well of the House demanding a discussion on the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, in connection with which they have been demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said that though the BJP was in favour of the resolution, a separate discussion should be held before it was passed. “We support this. Call a separate session for discussion…. Injustice should not be meted out to us as we controlled the state’s population…. Let all members discuss this,” he said.
Speaker U T Khader then put to vote the resolution, moved on behalf of the chief minister, and it was passed.
The resolution against One Nation, One Election—the proposal to hold elections to the Lok Sabha and Assemblies simultaneously across the country—said that such an exercise would jeopardise the federal and democratic structure of the country.
“A uniform election calendar would focus only on issues of national importance and ignore local issues and weaken the autonomy of states… To protect the democratic processes of India and preserve the integrity of the Union, this House urges the Central Government not to implement this harsh policy,” it read.
BJP MLAs, who protested against the resolution, said that multiple election calendars led to the wastage of the country’s resources but simultaneous elections would help developmental activity. The resolution was thus passed amid a din.
The third resolution, against NEET, was proposed by Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil and the Opposition MLAs protested.
“The NEET exam system is not only severely hampering opportunities in medical education to students from rural areas and making school education meaningless, it is also robbing the state’s right to provide admission to students at state-run government medical colleges,” the resolution read, calling for the Centre to scrap the exam.
The resolution also urged the Centre to exempt Karnataka from the exam and allow the state to admit students to medical colleges on the basis of the Common Entrance Test conducted by the state government.