NEET will be the only test, affirms SC

After weeks of uncertainty, the Supreme Court on Monday finally “clarified” that National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is indeed the only way for students to get admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses across the country.

“It is clarified that only NEET would enable students to get admission to MBBS and BDS studies,” a Bench of Justices Anil R. Dave, Shiva Kirti Singh and A.K. Goel pronounced in their final order.

The court gave authorities a free hand to reschedule NEET-II, currently scheduled on July 24.

Worry for States The apex court’s order strikes a death blow to States’ entrance exams, some of which have already been held or are in the offing. All private medical and dental colleges, deemed universities, associations will have to go by NEET results. In Tamil Nadu, students would have to take NEET despite a 2007 law in existence banning entrance exams in the State.

Judicial review The Supreme Court is yet to sit in judicial review of the constitutionality of NEET.

This decision has come despite pleas by the Centre and Medical Council of India to allow States’ exams alongside NEET for this year alone. “Prima facie, we do not find any infirmity in the NEET regulation on the ground that it affects the rights of the States and the private institutions,” the apex court held.

Dismissing applications by private colleges to modify the April 28 order giving NEET the go-ahead, the Bench said neither minority rights nor quota benefits are affected.

“NEET only provides for conducting entrance test for eligibility for admission to the MBBS/BDS course,” the court said. The only relief the court has allowed is for two categories of students.

One, those who had applied for NEET-I and could not appear in the exam conducted on May 1.

Two, candidates who appeared for NEET-I, but “could not prepare fully thinking that the preparation was only for 15 percent all-India seats and there would be further opportunity to appear in other examinations.”

Students of both these categories have been permitted to appear for NEET-II. But these students, in order to appear in NEET-II, would have to give up their candidature for NEET-I.