The Maharashtra government on Friday has reiterated its stand to go ahead with the state medical entrance test even as the apex court mandated the National Entrance and Eligibility Test (NEET) for admission in MBBS and BDS courses.
"The Common Entrance Test (CET) would be held on May 5 for all health science courses, including MBBS and BDS, as per the previously announced schedule. Meanwhile, we are filing a review petition on Monday in the Supreme Court against its order mandating the NEET from this year itself," education minister of Maharahstra Vinod Tawde said soon after the Supreme Court order on Friday.
"We are with the students," he added, insisting that he wants to "clear the confusion" among the students about the fate of the CET. However, it is still unclear whether the admission in MBBS and BDS courses in the state would be conducted on the basis of CET or NEET. Tawde said: "All depends on the review petition." This means, all the aspirants would have to keep an eye on court's happening along with the preparation.
The state government strongly hopes that the apex court would consider its review petition and grant relief from NEET this year. Over 1.4 lakh candidates have applied for MH-CET, seeking admission in health science courses — which includes MBBS, BDS, BHMS, BAMS, nursing etc. This is the first year when state is holding a common test for government and private medical colleges.
The state is ready with the five arguments in the review petition, Tawde said. These are 1) MH- CET is being held for the government and the private colleges both, a decision which was taken considering the welfare of poor students. 2) The CET is based on state board syllabus so as to give level playing field to students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds. While the NEET is based on CBSE syllabus and forcing them to appear in the national test in such short time would be injustice to them. 3) In the year 2013, the SC had scrapped the NEET and that's why the state conducts the state level test. 4) The NEET is being held in two phases in which two different papers would be given. Assessment of candidates on two different tests is not right. 5) State candidates have prepared the state board syllabus and scrapping the CET would affect their chances of selection in the medical courses.
"Two of our officers have already reached Delhi to assist in the review petition," said Tawde. However, aspirants said state's stand made them even more anxious.
"We have to brace ourselves for the two sets of exams now — CET and NEET," said a Mumbai-based candidate. Over 1.4 lakh candidates have applied for the state CET this year.
Several candidates who had applied for the AIPMT (which is now converted into NEET-2) wrote to this paper asking whether they can skip the first phase and apply afresh for the NEET-2 which would be held three months later.
Efforts to get in touch with the CBSE officials remained futile. Sources, however, said that CBSE would now stick to the SC order.
Candidates also blamed the CBSE for this mess. "The board erred while proposing the two phase NEET on Thursday. They should have rather asked for scrapping of the May 1 test and clubbing all students into one test on July 24."
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