What is NEET?
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is a common entrance test for aspiring students, based on which they will be allotted seats in undergraduate medical and dental colleges in India, both in the government and private sector. The test is conducted by the CBSE and is now available in many regional languages. It is also conducted to regulate entry in postgraduate medical courses.
What is the confusion?
NEET was conceived by the Medical Council of India in 2010 as a means of raising the quality of students being admitted to medical and dental colleges and thereby graduates. Several States including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat objected to the proposal on various grounds, including the fact that CBSE students would have an unfair advantage as the test would be based on that board’s syllabus.
The test was conducted in 2013 before it ran into rough weather. The Supreme Court, hearing a batch of over 170 petitions contesting various aspects of the test, struck it down, declaring it illegal and unconstitutional. However, in 2016, a five-judge Bench recalled the judgment, and gave the go-ahead to conduct a single common medical entrance test. NEET was conducted in 2016, but a one-time exemption was given for undergraduate admissions. In 2017, NEET was conducted with no exceptions.
Why is Tamil Nadu opposing the test?
In 2016, then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced that NEET will never be allowed in Tamil Nadu. The State had abolished qualifying exams for professional courses since 2006, relying instead on a ranking based on aggregate marks in relevant subjects in the 12th board examination. The State’s rationale was that Tamil-medium students and rural students would have a fair shot at making it through professional courses only if there was no entrance test.
In February this year, the State Assembly passed two Bills seeking to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET at both the UG and PG level. These have been forwarded to the President for assent.
What is the situation now?
Presidential approval has not yet been granted. Meanwhile, the test was held and after the results were announced, the government said that it would reserve 85% of the seats for students from the State board, leaving the rest for the other boards. This was struck down by the Madras High Court. State officials continue to seek from New Delhi an exemption from NEET.
