A big NEET relief

New Delhi: After raising queries, President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday signed the ordinance, cleared by the Union Cabinet on May 20, to “partially” overturn a Supreme Court verdict, which said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test).

• AP, TS too get exemption this year
• No respite for pvt medical, dental colleges

The students of state government boards will not have to sit for NEET on July 24, 2016. They, however, will have to become part of the uniform entrance exam from the next academic session.

The ordinance allows the state governments preferring to opt out of the NEET system this year to go ahead and recruit students of these two streams in all government colleges through the CETs and also from the Convener quota of the private colleges.

According to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, all other category seats of private medical and dental colleges would have to be recruited under the NEET system alone.

The President had sought more information and clarification on a few points from the Health Ministry over the decision to bring an Ordinance. He had promulgated the Ordinance after Health Ministry officials returned with the file addressing all the queries raised by him, official sources said.

The President's office was extra-cautious in this regard in view of the recent Uttarakhand episode wherein the Ordinance was set aside by the Apex court.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was at the President's Secretariat on Tuesday morning along with top Health Ministry officials to respond to clarifications sought by the President on NEET.

The exemption this year is being given to the states, including AP and Telangana, on three issues raised by these States - exams of state boards, syllabi and regional languages.

Stating that the Centre was in favour of NEET, Nadda said, “We wanted an early hearing. There were several hurdles, but we got it cleared and wanted that NEET be implemented,” he added.

Nadda, however, said the respective state governments could not put forth their views properly before the Supreme Court. "So, after the Supreme Court order, several states approached the Centre with their problems. Later, this was echoed in Parliament and various MPs also raised their concerns. Even an all-party meeting was convened on May 16 to discuss the issue," he added.

The Health Minister further said the main bone of contention was syllabus and regional language. Nadda said the Centre came up with an Ordinance after considering all concerns voiced by the states.

"We have tried to give a provision where we give an exemption to the states and an option to conduct the state examination (including those who have already conducted the exams). All private medical colleges come under the ambit of NEET. The states will get an option to either appear this year 2016-17 for undergraduate exams (or join next year).

NEET for postgraduate entry will be held in December this year. The seats will be filled either by NEET or by the state exam quota. Even in the private colleges, the seats to be filled by state exams will continue to be done that way this year," he added.

Over 15 states were opposed to NEET and had raised concerns like different syllabus and languages during the recent State Health Ministers' meeting with Nadda.

The state governments strongly objected and asked the court to review its order, saying such an exam would place regional language students at a disadvantage.