Nadda meets president to clarify NEET ordinance

Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Monday met President Pranab Mukherjee on the ordinance seeking to defer implementation of NEET, ordered by the apex court for admission to medical courses, as the president has sought some more clarifications, said informed sources.

Sources said the minister briefed the president on different issues related to the examination including issues like difference in state boards exams and syllabus and regional languages.

Nadda had earlier said that the government was committed to implementing the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) as per Supreme Court's order, but was also looking for ways to accommodate the concerns of the states.

The union cabinet had on Friday cleared an ordinance that exempts certain state boards from the ambit of NEET for an year. The ordinance was sent to President Mukherjee on Saturday, but he sought some clarifications.

The president is also slated to leave for China on Tuesday.

Around 6.5 lakh students sat for the first phase of NEET held on May 1. The next phase of the exam is scheduled for July 24. Nadda has said the second phase of exams will take place as scheduled.

The Supreme Court had last month ruled that NEET would be the only test for admission to medical courses in India, turning down an appeal by many states to hold separate medical entrance exams.

--IANS

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