The Supreme Court has ruled that only one entrance examination would be held for admission in an undergraduate medical or dental courses across the country.
“It is clarified that only NEET [National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test] would enable students to get admission to MBBS [Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery] and BDS [Bachelor of Dental Surgery] studies,” the Supreme Court announced on Monday, May 9.
The court gave authorities a free hand to reschedule NEET-II, which was currently scheduled on July 24.
“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 said in response to the Centre and Medical Council of India’s request to allow entrance exams conducted by various states alongside NEET for this year.
Some of the states have already held their entrance exams, some of which have already been held, while some are yet to be held.
The following set of questions and answers seek to clarify how the court order will affect admissions in medical and dental colleges.
How does a common entrance test benefit me?
Today, there are some 50 entrance exams in for admission to various medical and dental colleges in the country and serious aspirants end up appearing for an average of 10 tests. Besides, it is commonly believed that some private entrance tests, including state entrance tests, can be rigged. At the least, they are not fail proof. Remember how a chief minister’s daughter in Bihar stood first in an MBBS entrance test? So a single and credible entrance test is being conducted to prepare an all India merit list of all medical aspirants. Such a test will benefit the more meritorious to apply for admission in good private medical colleges also, while competing for their own state quotas.
I have appeared for NEET 1. Can I appear for NEET 2?
Yes, you can. However, you have to give up all your claims on the results of NEET 1. It is not the best of two. Only Your NEET2 score would be considered for all admission purposes.
What was the need for NEET 2?
As the state and private medical entrance tests have been barred, NEET 2 will be an opportunity for those aspirants who did not take the All India Pre-Medical / Pre-Dental Entrance Test or NEET1. However, students who appeared in NEET 1 protested that the others were getting more time to prepare for the rest. Hence the NEET1 examinees have also been given an option to appear for NEET 2 by foregoing all claims in their NEET 1 results.
I have reservation in my state. Would I have the same if considered under NEET?
Yes, NEET is only a comprehensive merit list to be used as an inter se – that is, between or amongst themselves – merit list. No reservation policies are being changed. It is only the preparation if an all India merit list.
Will the exam be in English only?
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a suggestion from the Centre to permit NEET to be conducted in six vernacular languages other than English and Hindi.
Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar on behalf of the central government has brought to the notice of the court that Neet-2 should be held in Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Assamese, Bengali and Gujarati as well because a large number of students of State boards will take the examination.
In 2013 when Neet was first held, exam was held in these six languages other than English and Hindi and the court on its own included Urdu also. The same arrangement can be considered for this year as well. The court has agreed to consider the request and pass appropriate orders.
What happens to candidates who have a bad day on the day of the exam? At least earlier she could make amends in another exam...
That is true. Every such move has pros and cons. This is a good first step. When you consider states like Tamil Nadu which admit students on the basis of marks scored in class 12 exams, a bad day in any of the subjects can ruin their chances. This drawback will be for any exam.
I am from Andhra. How would my rank at NEET affect my chances?
Andhra as a state will derive its own merit list of candidates from the NEET merit list and give admissions. Besides, the better performers will also have a chance to get admission into some of the good deemed universities and moving there, thus freeing a few more seats for the Andhra candidates within the state.
If you are an Andhra state board candidate you may be at a disadvantage vis-à-vis a Central Board of Secondary Education or CBSE candidate from the same state. This applies to possibly all state board applicants. You can put pressure on your own states to reserve seats according to the board examination you have taken.
I am from the Christian community and apply for CMC Vellore under our own quota. Would I be affected?
As stated earlier, no rights under any quota/reservation are being affected. CMC Vellore will draw up its own merit list belonging to the Christian community from the all India merit list and will apply quotas on the same.
What happens to some of the private tests that I gave already appeared?
They become null and void. You will have to appear in NEET 2 to lay any claim.
Does it apply to post-graduate medical seats also?
No. This is only for undergraduate medical aspirants for this year. But in subsequent years it applies to both post graduate and under graduate courses.
What happens if I get a good rank under NEET 2 but am denied a seat in a college, though a low ranked student gets admission in my category?
You can take that college to court and get that seat allocated to you provided the other admission criterion remain the same.
What is your advice to all students?
Apply for NEET 2, prepare well, take it with all seriousness and try to get the best rank possible.
Maheshwer Peri is the founder and publisher of the education magazine Careers 360
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