The Health Ministry today said that it is geared up to ensure that the the single entrance exams for admission to MBBS and BDS courses as directed by the Supreme Court are held successfully despite the "challenges".
Clearing the decks for holding National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) for the academic year 2016-17, the apex court said it will be undertaken in two phases in which around 6.5 lakh candidates are likely to appear.
The apex court approved the schedule put before it by the Centre, CBSE and MCI for treating All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) fixed for May 1 as NEET-1 and those who have not applied for AIPMT will be given opportunity to appear in NEET-II on July 24. The combined result would be declared on August 17.
Noting that the aim of the Health Ministry is to facilitate and enable the Medical Council of India (MCI) and CBSE to conduct the entrance exams in a manner and time which would not cause "distress" to students, Health Minister J P Nadda said that it has been making efforts in this direction for a long time.
"Health Minister J P Nadda has welcomed the order of the Supreme Court in the matter of conducting the entrance examination for admission to MBBS and Post Graduate Medical Courses via NEET this year," an official statement said.
"It is a milestone judgement," he stated, and added that "despite the challenges to conduct the exam this year the Ministry is geared up to work with the other partners and stakeholders to ensure that the entrance exams are successfully held".
The order, ending all uncertainity, was pronounced after
rejecting the opposition for holding NEET by states including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Association of Karnataka Medical Colleges besides minority institutions like CMC Vellore which had contended that NEET cannot be imposed on them.
"The aim of the Health Ministry is to facilitate and enable MCI and CBSE to conduct the entrance exams in a manner and time that would not cause distress to the lakhs of students appearing for the NEET.
"The Ministry has been making efforts in this direction since a long time. The present order of the Supreme Court, will significantly strengthen the efforts of the Ministry to achieve this aim," Nadda said.
The apex court order also revives the Government's Decemeber 21, 2010 notification for holding single common entrance test through NEET with a clarification that any challenge on the issue would directly come before it and no High Court can interfere in it.
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In a statement on the AIPMT website, CBSE said that in compliance with the directives of the Supreme Court, it would be conducting the All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Test for the academic session 2016-17.
This entrance test is being conducted for the 15 per cent merit positions in medical and dental colleges of India as specified in the directives of the Supreme Court and will be governed by the rules and regulations specified by the Health Ministry, CBSE said.
It said that there are also state governments, universities and institutions voluntarily participating in this test for using its merit list for admission in medical colleges and dental colleges against seats under their control.
"The responsibility of CBSE is limited to the conduct of the entrance test, declaration of result and providing merit list to DGHS (Directorate General of Health Services) and participating states, universities and institutions," it said.
The counselling for successful candidates under 15 per cent all-India quota seats is conducted by DGHS and the counselling for admission in seats under the control of other participating states, universities and institutions will be conducted by their respective authorities, it added.
