Medical aspirants in a spot over SC order

Pune: The city students looking to study medicine are facing a predicament with the Supreme Court directing the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to go ahead with the two-phase, single common entrance test for MBBS, BDS and post graduate courses through the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), .
The apex court said the All-India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) on Sunday, would be the first phase of the NEET.Very few aspirants from the city registered for the AIPMT as the state had decided to conduct medical admissions via the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT-CET), on May 5.
Director of state medical education and research Pravin Shingare said, "The Maharashtra government will file a review petition tomorrow (Friday) and request that medical admissions in the state be conducted on the basis of MHT-CETthe state entrance test. There won't will not be any change in the test state CET because it is combined for engineering and medical courses. So, students should appear for the exam in any case. The matter would come up for hearing on Monday. So, medical aspirants will have to wait and watch."
Shruti Jamdar, a city student, said, "Although I have registered for both AIPMT and MHT-CET, my preparation was focused towards the state entrance test. The court ordered a single test just seven days before the exam, the court orders for a single test. It is absolutely unfair to us. Such decisions should be taken well in advance, not at the end of the year."
NEET's second phase would be conducted on July 24, to give an opportunity to students who did not register for the AIPMT on May 1. The SC turned down a plea from state governments and private colleges, which claimed that NEET could not be imposed on them. The final NEET result of the two phases of the NEET would be declared by August 17.
A parent from Nashik, Aniruddha Dharmadhikari, whose daughter has registered for both exams said, "It is unclear if students, who have filled forms for AIPMT, should give the exam or would be allowed to appear for it in July."
Sanjay Lalwani, medical director at Bharati hospital, said, "The syllabus for the state entrance test incorporates the class XII portion so students are prepared for the state entrance only. NEET would include the syllabus of class XI and XII, so emotionally and psychologically it is disturbing for students to start studying the class XI syllabus from here onwards. I am fine with the policy decision, but it should have been enforced from next year onwards."
Lalwani also suggested that the May 1 NEET should have been cancelled too and only one test on July 24 should have been conducted to give a fair chance to all.