Under mounting pressure from several States, the Centre on Friday gave its nod for promulgation of an ordinance to keep State boards out of the ambit of uniform medical entrance examination – NEET – for this year.
The ordinance, cleared by the Union Cabinet, is aimed at “partially” overturning a Supreme Court verdict that said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under the NEET. This was the only agenda for the Cabinet meeting, sources said.
Clarifying that the exemption is only for State government seats, sources said that State seats that are earmarked in the private medical colleges have also been exempted.
Different states earmark anything between 12-15 per cent seats in various private medical colleges for State quota so that students from one State can get seat in another State.
The remaining seats in such colleges are reserved for domicile students. With this Ordinance, the remaining seats meant for domicile students will come under NEET.
Sources said more than 15 States were opposed to NEET and had raised issues like different syllabus and languages during the State health ministers’ meeting.
Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the medical entrance test in the first phase of NEET, held on May 1.
Once the ordinance is issued, students of State government boards will not have to sit for NEET on July 24.
They, however, will have to become part of the uniform entrance exam from next academic session, government sources said.
The States flagged various issues in the health ministers’ conference recently, including problems related to language and syllabus for students.
They said the students affiliated to State boards will find it tough to appear for the uniform test as early as July, and such students will be at a loss compared to those who have followed the central board.
Our Hyderabad Bureau adds: Andhra Pradesh, which had actively sought postponement of NEET, will be announcing AP Eamcet (Medical) examination results on Saturday.
According to Kamineni Srinivas, Medical and State Health Minister, about 1.03 lakh students had appeared for the exam and were ‘eagerly’ waiting for results.
Meanwhile, Telangana is also gearing up to conduct the examination in the wake of deferring of NEET for one more academic year.