The Supreme Court on Thursday gave green signal to hold National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam for admission to MBBS and MD courses in two phases this year. The test will be held on May 1 and July 24, and the result will be declared on August 17.
While both the Central Board of Education and Medical Council of India submitted to the court that they were ready to conduct the test in two phases, states including Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, and Telangana and various medical colleges objected to holding the test this year.
While Andhra Pradesh argued that it cannot allow the test in the state due to some constitutional provision, Tamilnadu told the bench of Justices AR Dave, Shiva Kirti Singh and AK Goel that it had passed an act in 2007, doing away with entrance exams. The state further submitted that the act was passed because students in rural areas were at a disadvantageous position compared to their urban counterparts because of entrance exams.
The petition filed by NGO Sankalp Charitable Trust was listed for hearing today after it was mentioned late Wednesday. The NGO in its petition, had accused the CBSE and MCI of dilly-dallying implementing court orders to hold NEET exam. It had also claimed in the petition that around 90 entrance exams are held across the country every year by private and government colleges, leading to huge expenditure of state exchequer as well as burdening students’ pockets.