President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday signed the Centre's Ordinance on deferring the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test by a year. Mukherjee give his assent hours before he left for China on a four-day visit. Health Minister JP Nadda had met the president on Monday, arguing for the Ordinance and urging him to sign the order at the earliest. The meeting reportedly lasted for more than an hour.
The Cabinet had passed the Ordinance on Friday, seeking to partially overturn the Supreme Court’s verdict, which stipulated that the NEET should be conducted across the country this year itself. The court’s move was seen as a safeguard against the corruption and irregularities allegedly rampant in state-level exams.
However, states have been protesting against the order, saying students have not had enough time to prepare, given the suddenness of the apex court’s ruling. They also argued that regional students would face a language barrier during the NEET.
The next phase of the NEET exam was scheduled to be held on July 24.
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