Government will take final call on NEET: Naidu

The government on Monday accepted that the Supreme Court order on common all-India medical entrance test has created "practical problems" and said it will take a final call on the matter after a comprehensive study.

"There is a problem with states having examinations in their regional language as NEET is in Hindi and English only. So there are practical problems as the pre-medical examination has been converted by the court order," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said in the Lok Sabha.

He was responding to the members' concerns over the court verdict.

Raising the matter during Zero Hour, Congress member Rajiv Satav held the union government responsible for the situation, saying that the court order has affected 80 percent students of Maharashtra, mostly from the rural areas.

Responding to the charge, Naidu said: "It's not proper to hold the government responsible for it."

He said he will discuss the issue with the health minister.

"Keeping all the things in mind, the government will have a comprehensive study of the concerned matter and take a final call after discussing it with the law officer," Naidu said.

The members had also opposed holding of the first phase of the test on May 1, saying it gives little time to students for preparation.

The development in parliament comes as the Supreme Court is to hear on Tuesday a batch of applications seeking that NEET may not be thrust on the states and they be allowed to conduct their own entrance examinations.

Various states, besides the associations of private medical colleges, are aggrieved by the apex court's Friday order reiterating that admission to undergraduate medical courses will be only through NEET to be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

On Thursday, the Supreme Court had said students aspiring for admission to under-graduate medical courses will have to appear in the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), and declined the pleas for exemption by Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

A bench of Justice Anil R. Dave, Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice A.K. Goel gave its nod to the two-phase conduct of NEET by the CBSE on May 1 and July 24, with the declaration of results on August 17, and counselling and admissions later.

--IANS

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