NEET row: Parents, students disappointed; setback for DMER

In accordance with the court order, CBSE’s AIPMT on May 1 is considered as the first phase of NEET wherein over six lakh students appeared.Express

PARENTS AND students were left disappointed on Monday when the Supreme Court ordered that states cannot hold entrance tests for medical courses. This has come as a huge setback to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), which on May 5 completed the mammoth exercise of holding its exam for 3.9 lakh students.

Dr Pravin Shingare, DMER, told The Indian Express that this means that as per the Supreme Court order medical and dental admissions for this year will be done only through the National Eligibility Entrance Exam (NEET). The state common entrance test that was held on May 5 will be applicable for admission to the rest of the professional courses.

SC Allows Students Who Appeared In NEET-I To Attempt Phase-II

On May 3, while hearing a plea from the state governments and private medical institutions to conduct their own entrance exams, the Supreme Court did not pass any order. It did not restrain the state or private colleges from holding their own exams. However, there has been anxiety among authorities, students and parents about the validity of the common entrance test conducted by the state for admission to medical and dental courses.

The state had challenged the NEET in the Supreme Court and appealed that the common entrance test be allowed for admission to medical courses in government colleges for this academic year.

“We have been waiting for the order the entire day. As many as 10 states have petitioned the court and several hearings have been held. We were told that the Supreme Court order will be uploaded on the website only after 9 pm,” said Dr Shingare, adding that they will have a meeting on the further course of action as the SC now remains firm on its order passed on April 28 regarding the implementation of NEET 2016 in two phases.

Meanwhile, at Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, authorities have already cancelled their entrance exam for admission to medical and dental courses. Dr S Dalvi, Vice Chancellor at Pravara said they had cancelled the entrance exam on May 7 for admission to its 125 medical seats and 100 dental seats. “The board of management will now decide further course of action,” said Dalvi.

While Bharati Vidyapeeth deemed university held the common entrance test for admission to homeopath and ayurved courses on May 7, authorities said that they will withhold the results of students who had also taken the test for admission to medical and dental courses. D Y Patil deemed university plans to study the Supreme Court order and then decide on scrapping the May 14 entrance examination, authorities said.