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SC raps govt, MCI on entrance test

 

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday embarrassed the government and Medical Council of India (MCI) by forcing them to withdraw their pleas for one-year deferment of the first ever National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2012, a single examination for MBBS and dental undergraduates seats in all medical colleges across the country. While MCI’s counsel Amarendra Saran was quick to sense the mood of the court of immediately agree for an unconditional withdrawal of the regulatory body’s application, additional solicitor general Harin Raval, while agreeing to withdraw the plea by the ministry of health and family welfare, wanted recording of his statement that the government would take appropriate steps in this regard.

 

This made a bench of Justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad recall that the common entrance test was formulated on the joint request of the MCI and the health ministry. “All these orders were passed after hearing you and you alone. The regulations have been framed by the MCI stipulating that NEET would be held from the academic year 2012-13 onwards. We will not be a party to the postponement of these regulations. If the government and the regulator want to withdraw the regulations, let them do that,” the bench said. Raval persisted with his request, “I want to withdraw the application but please record my statement that the government will take appropriate steps.”

 

The bench shot back, “We will not record a word of it. Either you withdraw the plea or we reject it. If you have other methods open to you for postponement of NEET, you are free to do that.” It went on to order dismissal of the ministry’s application but on Raval’s request, changed the order and recorded the permission to withdraw it. The government had moved the application for deferment of NEET 2012 by one year following objections by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and other states. The test is scheduled to be held on May 13, 2012.

 

One of the major reasons for the Centre moving the application was the Trinamool government’s insistence on Bengal students being given the option of answering the test in Bengali and some other states either seeking exemption or deferment. It had said, “The Bengal CM has expressed preference to continue with the Joint Entrance Examination Board for all colleges in West Bengal. However, the state would be ready to join NEET for undergraduate courses only if it assured that Bengali would be one of the medium for the said examination.” The chief ministers of Maharashtra Assam and Karnataka had also requested the ministry for exemption from NEET 2012 arguing that students would require more time to switch over to the new system.

Posted on 19 Dec 2011