Karnataka Assembly adopts resolutions against delimitation, “One Nation, One Election” move, NEET

PTI, Jul 25, 2024, 1:25 PM IST

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday adopted resolutions against the delimitation of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies based on the coming census, “One Nation, One Election” proposal and National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET).

“The Karnataka Assembly demands that the Central Government should not carry out the delimitation of constituencies on the basis of a census that happens in the 2026 census or thereafter. In case of increasing the number of seats based on the population, it should take into account the 1971 census to decide the number of Lok Sabha seats in a state and the assembly constituencies there,” it said.
In the second resolution, the Congress government said the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal poses a threat to India’s democratic and federal system.

Different state legislatures have their own terms of office, and a uniform election schedule can undermine states’ autonomy by focusing too much on national issues and neglecting local concerns. Ensuring adequate security, managing election staff, dejection among voters, reduced government accountability and economic and social constraints are serious concerns associated with simultaneous elections, it said.

“Therefore, this House urges the Central Government not to implement this draconian law to protect the democratic processes and unity of India,” the resolution, tabled by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil, read.

The government said the NEET examination system is severely affecting the medical education opportunities of poor children from rural areas. It not only makes the school education system ineffective, but also takes away the rights of the state government to admit students in state government managed medical colleges and hence it is requested that this system should be abolished.

“This House demands the Centre to exempt Karnataka from this exam and allow admission in the medical colleges to the school students on the basis of the Common Entrance Test conducted by the State government and cancel the NEET system in view of the irregularities taking place nationwide and make essential amendments in the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 (Central Act 30 of 2019),” the third resolution said.

The Speaker U T Khader later announced that the resolutions have been adopted.