The Supreme Court on Friday refuses to stay the ordinance on National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET), saying there was no need for an interim order and this matter should be mentioned before the Chief Justice of India in July.
Justifying its stand, the apex court said that the government has not denied NEET, adding the exemption was given only to some states, which is why there will confusion if it intervenes at this stage.
This development comes after a fresh petition was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of the Centre's decision to bring in an ordinance allowing states to conduct their own medical entrance examinations this year.
Vyapam scam whistleblower Anand Rai and medical student Sanjeev Saxena yesterday filed a petition in the Supreme Court.
A group of students in favour of the NEET ordinance' granting exemption to states from the common entrance test for admission to government medical colleges for 2016-17 had earlier filed a caveat in the apex court to ensure that no stay was granted without hearing them.
Soon after the ordinance was promulgated on May 24, the Sankalp Trust, which is in favour of the NEET, had announced its intention to challenge the ordinance.
The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016, and the Dentists (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016, have been promulgated to provide for a uniform entrance examination for Undergraduate and Post-Graduate admissions with a provision that for UG admission for 2016-17 only, the state government seats (both in Government and Private Medical Colleges) shall be exempt from the purview of the NEET regulations if the state government so opts.
The NEET is being implemented from the current year itself for all the UG admissions in all private institution in respect of their seats.
The first phase has been conducted on May 1 and the second phase is to be held on July 24.
Only state government seats in government Medical Colleges and state government seats in private institutions will have exemption for the current year.
Six states and one Union Territory are already participating in the NEET this year and the ordinances will allow them as well as any other state which so opts to fill up their state government seats from NEET for 2016-17 UG admissions.
