The drama surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) came to shut as the union health minister announced the order to sanction both NEET and state board exams this year, which has been signed by the president. With this order NEET got “statutory backing”, said minister JP Nadda while addressing the media on Tuesday.
NEET phase 2 is scheduled on July 24.
Nevertheless, the exemption is only for the undergraduate admissions.
The postgraduate exams which are to be held in December will come entirely under NEET.
“The Indian government has been very much clear about bringing the NEET into action,” said the minister.
The biggest consequence is the restrictions on individual examinations which are held by the private medical colleges. Nanda cleared up that no such examinations will be held.
The quota seats in every private college of the state will be filled by the test the state chooses to move ahead with. Whereas the management seats will be filled by NEET only.
This step is seen widely as a way to bring down the excessive fees charged by private institutes.
This also means that students applying for different states could end up giving both exams, depending on the states choice.
As for now- Haryana, Rajasthan, Pradesh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal, Odisha, Chandigarh and Bihar have opted for NEET.
Whereas West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh have opted for their own exams.
Tamil Nadu, has been exempted because the state admit students based on counseling and not on tests.
Officials involved with NEET estimate that there are 29,000 private seats in this country and 28,000 government seats. They expect at least two-third of government seats to come under NEET.
“The exemption was provided as the state was unable to put forward its views in correct perspective to the Supreme Court. It was after the apex court had passed the order stressing on NEET from 2016.”
The meetings held on May 16 with the state health minister and an all party meeting, there was a clear consensus to implement NEET said JP Nanda.
Thus, from 2017, NEET will be held in different languages.
