SC refuses to stay NEET ordinance, says it could cause confusion

New Delhi, May 27

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the central government’s ordinance exempting states from conducting the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for undergraduate medical and dental courses this year citing possible confusion from such a move.

The court said that its staying the ordinance could cause confusion among students aspiring to take the examination and said the case should be mentioned before the Chief Justice of India in July.

“There’s no need for an interim order. The central government has not refused to conduct the examination. It has only given exemption to some states. Intervention at this point will cause confusion,” the court said.

President Pranab Mukherjee signed the central government’s ordinance on Tuesday. 

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The ordinance amending the Indian Medical Council Act 1956, which governs MBBS and BDS admissions, says that NEET will be universal from 2017-18 for both undergraduate and postgraduate admissions. A year’s relaxation was being granted only to state governments in order to address their concerns over variance in CBSE and state board syllabi, and difference in the language in which the central test is held. 

Over 14 states had recently sought time from Health Minister JP Nadda for the switch to a central test.  

The ordinance, however, has no bearing on NEET-UG phase 2, which will be held as directed by the Supreme Court in its May 9 order. Although CBSE had fixed July 24 for NEET-UG phase 2, the date may be slightly postponed in the light of the new developments. — Agencies