NEET a huge blow to Telangana, AP

In a big blow to the aspirations of lakhs of students of AP and Telangana dreaming to become doctors, a five-member Supreme Court bench consisting of Justice R Dave, Justice A K Sikri, Justice R K Agarwal, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice R Bhanumati held on Thursday that the MCI and the CBSE could conduct the NEET from this academic year itself. 

This permission to the Central bodies comes in the backdrop of the Centre's submission that it was ready to conduct the examinations from this year itself. Only on Wednesday, the SC directed the Central Board of Secondary Education, the Union of India and the Medical Council of India to submit the proposed schedule by Thursday noon after the three submitted that they were willing to hold the National Eligibility Entrance Test for admissions to medical and BDS courses for the academic year 2016-17.

According to the schedule submitted on Thursday the first phase of NEET would be conducted on May 1 (in place of AIPMT) and the second phase on July 24. The



joint result would be announced on August 17. Admission process would be completed by September 30.

It also stated that 6.5 lakh candidates could appear in first phase and 2.5 lakh would appear for the second phase.

The order, however, does not clarify as to what would be the fate of the examinations already scheduled by the various State Governments. AP and Telangana students would be taking up the EAMCET examinations shortly with a gap of one week.

The order delivered on Thursday if not successfully challenged would see the end of the dreams of lakhs of Telugu students, particularly those who have studied in the Telugu medium and write the examinations in the same medium.

The apex court allowed the MCI and the CBSE to go ahead and conduct the examinations.

Meanwhile, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda welcomed the order of the Supreme Court in the matter of conducting the entrance examination for admission to medical courses through NEET.