SC quashes NEET for medical courses
Source: The Sangai Express / Press Trust of India
New Delhi, July 18 2013:
The Supreme Court today scrapped holding of a single common entrance test (NEET) for admission to MBBS, BDS and post-graduate courses in all medical colleges, paving the way for private colleges to conduct their own examination.
The apex court verdict holding that common entrance test for admission in medical colleges "violates the rights of state and private institutions" is likely to have a fallout as such tests are conducted for other professional courses like engineering and management.
The three judge bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, who is retiring today, in a majority 2-1 verdict quashed the notifications for the National Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test (NEET) .
The CJI's view was shared by Justice Vikramjit Sen but Justice A R Dave disagreed with them and upheld the NEET saying the policy was "legal" and it would stop corrupt practice of undeserving students getting admission by paying huge capitation fee or donation.
The majority verdict said that common test seems "attractive" but it is "fraught with difficulties" and it would "perpetuate" divide between urban and rural students in the name of giving credit to merit.
It quashed the notifications issed by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Dental Council Of India (DCI) by which admissions to MBBS, BDS and Post-graduate courses to medical colleges were to be made solely on the basis of NEET and States and privately-run institutions were prevented from conducting any separate examination.
Justice Dave in his dissenting judgement said the NEET was not only legal but practical and is the need of the society for ensuring more transparency and less hardship to the students eager to join the medical profession.
"If only one examination in the country is conducted and admissions are given on the basis of the result of the said examination, in my opinion, unscrupulous and money-minded businessmen operating in the field of education would be constrained to stop their corrupt practices and it would help a lot, not only to the deserving students but also to the nation in bringing down the level of corruption," he said.