Confusion continues to prevail among aspirants to medical courses in Tamil Nadu as there is no clarity on whether they would have to write an entrance examination, if yes, in what format. On Friday, the Medical Council of India moved the Supreme Court to allow States to conduct separate medical admission tests for 2016-17. The court has deferred the hearing on this till Monday next.
Health Department officials in Tamil Nadu indicated that if the Supreme Court permits States to conduct their own tests – as opposed to the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) – they could examine the feasibility of exempting students from the ordeal of an entrance test this year.
“We might take a decision deeming the class XII board examination itself as an entrance examination and admit the students to medical courses on the basis of their performance in it,” said a Health Department official.
However, this proposal, it is feared may not stand legal scrutiny as the Supreme Court has insisted that medical and dental college admissions must be based on a separate entrance examination.
‘Qualifying test’
Nonetheless, the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) may be the qualifying test for admission to private minority institutions and deemed universities in the State, say officials.
Meanwhile, P. Saminathan, organising secretary of Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, which made a representation to MCI Vice Chairman C.V. Brihmanandham two days ago, said even if the State government could conduct an entrance exam this year it would not harm the students’ hopes as much as the NEET would.
MCI moves Supreme Court to allow
States to conduct separate admission tests
