The Supreme Court is to decide the validity of the National Eligibility and Entrance Test conducted by the Medical Council of India for MBBS, post graduate and dental courses.
By an interim order in December last, the court permitted all private medical colleges/associations to conduct their entrance tests for admission to these courses but had made it clear that they should not declare the results. As per the regulations announced, the MCI has conducted the NEET for admission to medical courses for 2013-14 even as the case was pending consideration by the court. Results are expected on July 2 after the court re-opens after summer vacation.
Originally Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, several associations of private medical colleges, CMC, Vellore, DD Medical College and DD Hospital, Tamil Nadu and various individual colleges had filed petitions in the respective High Courts and obtained an interim stay against the applicability of NEET. The MCI filed transfer petitions seeking transfer of these cases to the Supreme Court to avoid multiplicity of proceedings. The Supreme Court, while staying all further proceedings, heard arguments on the validity of the NEET and reserved its verdict.
(venkatesan.j@thehindu.co.in)
