Class 12 students, who are jittery over how the newly announced National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) will pan out, are particularly opposed to the Central government’s plan of conducting the test in two phases.
Students who have registered for the All-India Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Test (AIPMT), that will now be NEET phase 1, feel they are at a disadvantage as those who take NEET in phase 2 will get nearly three months more to prepare. The second phase of NEET is scheduled on July 24 for candidates who have not registered for AIPMT.
Students as well as experts point out that there is no logic in conducting the exam in two phases and it cannot be deemed “equal competition”.
Take to social media
Besides expressing their frustration on social media, tagging Human Resource Minister Smriti Irani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, students have also started online petitions demanding “One NEET 2016 for all in a single phase and NOT in two phases”.
Stating that the move to conduct the test in two phases was totally “unjustified”, Srushti Shankar, a student of Delhi Public School, south Bengaluru, who is appearing for NEET phase 1 this Sunday, said, “This is not fair. Why should some students have an edge over the others and get more time to prepare?” She also pointed out that many students had already appeared for entrance exams of deemed medical colleges. “All along my focus had been on CET and now that NEET is a national exam and likely to be the only basis for college admission, I am nervous. This one exam will determine my future. I was mentally prepared to take 10 exams and my chances of getting into colleges were dependent on multiple exams,” she said.
Meanwhile, a day after the apex court gave its nod for NEET, calls from parents and students continued to flood the Karnataka Examinations Authority helpline. “The exam, as of now, will go on even for medical aspirants. If the court disallows State entrance exams, we will not announce ranks for medical,” an official said.
A high-level meeting is being held on Saturday by Minister of State for Medical Education Sharanprakash Patil to discuss the issue.
