States can opt for own exam this yr

NEW DELHI:The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate medical and dental college admissions today became the law of the land after the government promulgated two ordinances saying all MBBS and BDS seats, except those with the state governments, will be filled on the basis of a central merit list from this year.

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 24

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate medical and dental college admissions today became the law of the land after the government promulgated two ordinances saying all MBBS and BDS seats, except those with the state governments, will be filled on the basis of a central merit list from this year.

The Indian Medical Council Amendment Ordinance, 2016, and the Dentists Amendment Ordinance, 2016, were promulgated after President Pranab Mukherjee today assented to the executive orders.

The ordinances mean that all 220 private medical colleges in India will now have to fill their seats on the basis of NEET-UG merit list and not capitation fee. The merit will even apply to management and NRI quota seats in private colleges, though not to seats falling in state government quotas, this year. Minority institution seats will also be filled by the NEET-UG merit. All exemptions will end from 2017 when, as per the ordinances, NEET will become universal for state government institutions as well.

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Health Ministry estimates say that the capitation fee per MBBS seat in a private college is Rs 35 lakh. This will end. This year alone, the ministry estimates filling 30,000 MBBS seats of the 52,715 through NEET.

"NEET-UG now has a firm statutory backing. The ordinances provide for a uniform test and add a proviso saying state governments will have the option this year of either holding their own tests or joining NEET-UG. All private institutions, except their state quota seats, will be filled through the NEET-UG merit. Exemption to states is for UG admissions and not NEET-PG which will be held in December for the 2017-18 academic session. The ordinances clarify that from the next year, NEET-UG will be universal. From 2017, NEET-UG will be held in regional languages as notified by the Centre," Health Minister JP Nadda said.

The executive orders, Nadda said, had to be brought because states were unable to argue their concerns before the Supreme Court which ordered a universal NEET-UG 2016 on May 9. “States had three concerns — the ongoing entrance tests, parity with CBSE syllabus and non-availability of NEET question papers in regional languages. They could not present their case to the SC but petitioned us. We conducted state health ministers' meet and held an all-party meet. Ordinances were brought following a consensus for giving states one year to come on board," Nadda said. It is now for the state governments to decide whether to join NEET-UG or hold their own test. They have the option.

The CBSE had conducted the NEET-UG phase I on May 1 and will conduct the phase II on July 24. The All-India NEET UG merit list will be declared on August 17 and admissions have to conclude by September 30.

Seven states—Haryana, Himachal, MP, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajsathan, Chandigarh—already admit students through AIPMT (now NEET). The remaining, including Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Andhra, Telangana and UP, had deferred their exams after the SC order and will now have to decide whether to hold their own test or join the July 24 NEET. Bihar has opted to join NEET.

The ordinances are expected to be passed by Parliament in the monsoon session.