President clears ordinance allowing states to skip NEET for a year

President of India Pranab Mukherjee has signed an order that allows state boards to skip the uniform medical entrance examination, National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical colleges, for a year.

The ordinance- or executive order was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday, is aimed at “partially” overturning a Supreme Court order.

The apex court ruled last month that NEET would be the only test for admission to medical courses in India. It turned down an appeal by several states who wanted to hold their own separate medical entrance exams. The top court order said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would have to use NEET’s results and not their own entrance exam results for admission.

The ordinance was sent to the President on Saturday after which he had asked the health ministry to explain the reason for taking the ordinance route to keep state boards out of the ambit of NEET.

Health minister JP Nadda had met Pranab Mukherjee on Monday to answer the President’s questions on the need for urgency in issuing the executive order.

Reportedly, the minister briefed the president on different issues related to the examination including issues like difference in state boards exams and syllabus and regional languages.

Nadda had earlier said the government was committed to implementing the as per Supreme Court’s order, but was also looking for ways to accommodate the concerns of the states.

Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already taken the first phase of NEET held on May 1. The next phase of the exam is scheduled for July 24, ToI reported

Thanks to : indiaeducationreview