With several MPs opposing the national-eligibility-cum-entrance test (NEET), the Health Ministry will hold a meeting with all the States on May 16 to deliberate ways to convince the Supreme Court to defer the common entrance test by a year.
Sources in the Ministry said that apart from MPs and private medical colleges, many States like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra are not happy with the Supreme Court order for holding the NEET examination from this year itself.
During the meeting, the States, to be represented by their Health Ministers and their Secretaries, and the Centre will brainstorm to chalk out a strategy to approach the court pleading that at least the second phase of NEET, which is scheduled in July, is not held this year.
In fact, the Centre on Wednesday had already made up its mind in this direction when in the lok Sabha it said, “while it was in favour of a common entrance test for admission to MBBS and BDS courses, it did not want the exam held from this year and therefore, would again approach the court”.
“The Government has nothing to do with the decision to hold NEET from this year. This is a court directive. But it’s true that we can’t expect students to switch to a new system. We are for a common entrance exam, but not from this year. We’ll again approach the court for this through the Attorney General,” Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs M Venkaiah Naidu had said.
However, the Government’s move has not gone down well with a section of doctors. The National Coalition for Reforms and Restructuring of Medical Council of India, a group of doctors and NGOs have termed plans to defer the NEET by one year a “pressure tactic by the private medical colleges and other interested parties who want the capitation fee to continue”.
Dr GS Grewal, president of Punjab Medical Council and member of the coalition, said, “NEET is a bold step to end the admission to the medical colleges using corrupt means and money power. The judgment is very clear that all the constitutional provisions will be addressed to and every State will have its own merit drawn out of this final result.”
However, he admitted that the concerns of students appearing in vernacular languages need to be addressed.