Use NEET as only basis for admission, SC tells Tamil Nadu medical colleges

The court stated that counselling should be conducted immediately, process should end by Sept 4

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Tamil Nadu medical colleges to follow the common National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admissions (NEET).

The court observed that NEET will be the only basis for admissions and the counselling will begin on August 24.

Further, the court stated that the counselling should be conducted immediately and the process should end by September 4.

On August 16, the medical students from Tamil Nadu moved the Supreme Court seeking directive for the State Government to start medical counselling soon.

This came after the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), which was made mandatory for admission in the MBBS and the BDS courses across India last year, got separate petitions filed at the Madras and Gujarat High Courts, where medical aspirants demanded cancellation of the NEET 2017 as the Gujarati and Tamil medium paper were allegedly tougher than the English and Hindi medium.

The medical aspirants in the case are being represented by Nalini Chidambaram before the Apex court.

Earlier on May 24, the Madras High Court had stayed any proceedings on the NEET result.

Keeping the urgency of the result in mind and the starting of counselling sessions for successful candidates in mind, the apex court has stayed the Madras High Court order.

Nearly 12 lakh candidates across India had appeared for the NEET in 10 languages including English, Hindi and others.

The NEET was made mandatory for admission in the MBBS and the BDS courses across India last year.