NEW DELHI, May 18: Legal consultations are being held over implementation of Supreme Court-ordered NEET as the sole entrance test for admissions to medical colleges following opposition by several states and there will be a decision in two days, the Centre said today.
“Very soon we are coming out with a solution. Phase-1 of NEET is over. Phase-II will take place. Three issues are there—the issue of ongoing examinations, syllabus and language. These need to be addressed.
“We are going in the right direction. We are going for legal consultations. In next day or two, we will arrive at the course which needs to be taken over this issue. Solution will be reached through talks only,” Union Health Minister J P Nadda told PTI.
He said the reason behind bringing National Eligibility cum Entrance Test(NEET) for admissions to medical and dental colleges across the country was to tackle the corruption and malpractices and the Government has moved in that direction already and things will be clear within two days.
Nadda’s comments came against the backdrop of reports that the Government is mulling bringing an Ordinance to defer by one year the implementation of NEET.
Sources in the Government had said that the Ordinance could be brought to “postpone the effect of the Supreme Court judgement by 12 months”.
Observing that the consensus in the Government is that issues which have been raised should be addressed, Nadda said that it is only after arriving at a consensus with the persons concerned in the government that the Health Ministry is going forward in this direction.
“Second phase (of NEET) will happen on July 24,” Nadda asserted and said “All processes are on,” when asked whether the Government will take a legal route on the issue.
Major political parties and several states have favoured deferring implementation of the apex court verdict by one year. The Centre has already kicked off consultations on the issue, asserting the matter was essentially in “executive domain”.
Several state Governments wanted their exams to be the basis for admission for their 85 per cent quota seats for this year too.
Nadda, however, has made it clear earlier that private medical colleges and deemed universities cannot have their entrance exams and will have to take students only through the NEET route.
The Health Minister has earlier said the Centre was committed to bringing in transparency in medical education system and remove alleged malpractices.
The Supreme Court had ruled that starting this academic session, students would have to appear in NEET to seek admission to medical or dental colleges in the country.
The apex court order had implied that all Government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET and those examinations which had already taken place or were slated to be conducted separately stand scrapped.
The states flagged various issues in the health ministers conference yesterday including problems related to language and syllabus. (PTI)
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