Letters: Mixed response to NEET

The Supreme Court's decision to hold a National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) for admission into medical and dental courses from this academic year has received diverse feedback. While the decision is being hailed as a move to end corruption by way of sale of seats in private colleges, there is worry about the exam. How can students be expected to grasp the syllabus of a year in two months?

The concern remains that NEET would benefit only the students of CBSE Board; those from state education boards may lag behind in getting admission into private medical colleges. Just hours after the top court's decision on NEET, parents and students alike were searching for coaching centres to prepare for the exam. This means coaching centres will mushroom, but their quality cannot be ascertained.

Some states such as Goa have a common entrance test for engineering, medicine and dentistry. Even with NEET in place, students will have to sit for the state entrance test for admission into engineering courses. It would have been better had the Supreme Court ordered NEET to be conducted for students clearing Class XII from the academic year 2016-17.

Brinda Singh, New Delhi

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