President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday promulgated the Ordinance to keep State boards out of the ambit of the common entrance test (NEET) for MBBS and dental courses for this year. The second phase of NEET will be conducted on July 24. The first phase was held on May 1.
Health Minister JP Nadda said the Ordinance gives the NEET a firm statutory support and backing to bring in transparency in examinations. “The Government was very clear from the beginning that it was in favour of NEET,” he maintained, rejecting Congress’ charge that the Government was going against the test.
He explained that only State Government seats in Government medical colleges and State Government seats in private institutions will have exemption (if the State Government concerned so opts) for the current year.
However, said Nadda, as Tamil Nadu and Puducherry do not conduct an examination for entrance in their medical and dental colleges, and instead admit students on the basis of marks obtained at Class XII examinations for their State Government seats, admissions in these States for the current year only, will be as per present procedure being adopted by these two States.
“All State seats will be filled up either by NEET or by their State examination board and in private medical colleges, the quota that they have for States will also be filled up by the State list or NEET list. PG examination in December 2016 will be a complete NEET,” he said.
He said as the States had not effectively put forth their views in the right perspective before the Supreme Court, we brought this Ordinance in order to provide them relief.
He said that after the apex court order, many State Governments had approached the Centre and apprised it of various issues, including ongoing tests of States, parity of syllabus and regional languages.
Nadda said that after due consultations, including an all- party meeting and State health Ministers’ meet, a consensus was reached that NEET “in principle” is to be implemented which is why the Ordinance was brought.