Single test for medical admissions

R Sedhuraman

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, April 28

The Supreme Court today ruled that admissions to the MBBS and BDS courses from this academic year (2016-17) would be on the basis of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), “notwithstanding any order passed by any court earlier” for not holding NEET.

A three-member Bench headed by Justice Anil R Dave accepted the schedule suggested by the Centre and the Central Board of Secondary Education for conducting NEET in two phases.

The All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Test slated for May 1 would be treated as phase 1 of NEET, while the second phase would be held on July 24. The combined result for both phases would be declared by August 17 with all-India rankings and merit list. The authorities should invite applications for counselling on the basis of the merit list, the apex court said.

The Bench passed the order on a PIL pleading for a directive to the Centre and the Medical Council of India to hold NEET from this year.

The SC, however, clarified that today’s order would not affect the hearing of the petitions seeking exemption from NEET. Among those against NEET are Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — which have their own laws for medical admissions — and associations of private medical colleges of several states.

On April 11, a five-member Constitution Bench headed by Justice Dave had restored NEET for admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate courses by recalling the apex court’s July 18, 2013, ruling delivered by a three-member Bench headed by the then Chief Justice Altamas Kabir.

Justice Dave was part of the three-member Bench that quashed NEET via a 2-1 split verdict. The 2013 ruling came on petitions by private medical colleges against NEET.

What it means

All government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges will be covered under NEET and examinations that have already taken place, or are slated to be conducted separately, stand scrapped