The union Cabinet yesterday gave its approval for an ordinance to defer the implementation of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for a year.
The examination had been made mandatory for admissions to medical courses across India.
The government decision follows strong objections from some states, sources said. The ordinance, which puts on hold the Supreme Court’s May 9 ruling ordering the implementation of NEET from this year, was cleared in a cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, official sources said.
The decision by the government has come as a huge relief for thousands of students who have been preparing for medical entrance examination across the country this year.
Several BJP MPs and several state governments, including Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, had opposed the implementation of a common entrance test from this year.
Amid protests by the students and states, union Health Minister J P Nadda also convened a consultation meeting of the state health ministers over the issue.
Earlier, declining the plea by some states to allow them to hold common entrance tests under their respective laws and that of the private medical colleges, the Supreme Court refused to modify its April 28 order making NEET mandatory for admission to under-graduate medical courses across the country for the academic year 2016-17.
The Medical Council of India and the Dental Council of India had in December 2010 amended the then statutory regulations to provide for a single NEET for admission to the MBBS/BDS course.
However, the notification was struck down on July 18, 2013, by the apex court, which in a 2:1 verdict held that NEET was flawed both procedurally and substantially.
The NEET was restored on April 11, 2016, when the five-judge constitution bench of justice A R Dave, justice A K Sikri, justice R K Agrawal, justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and justice R Banumathi, recalled the July 18, 2013 order.
Meanwhile Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal yesterday said the central government must go ahead with NEET for admissions to medical courses.
“I sincerely urge Modi not overturn the NEET order by the Supreme Court,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.
Kejriwal said multiple entrance examinations conducted by various state and private medical colleges deprive deserving students of seats.
“Admissions to medical colleges are a fraud in itself. Students have to pay huge sums of money in the name of paid seats. Those who can pay money get admissions while the deserving are left high and dry,” Kejriwal said in the letter to Modi, a copy of which he shared in his tweet.
Kejriwal added that “many leaders and lawmakers from many parties” run their own medical colleges and have their own reasons for opposing a common national test. Meanwhile, the Congress Party yesterday alleged that the government was serving the interest of a medical lobby, which included a large number of politicians and businessmen.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked the government to roll back the ordinance so that meritorious students get admission on the basis of their merit and the entire system of fleecing students through capitation comes to an end.