DUMMY’S GUIDE TO THE NEET MESS

Students, parents cheer the Centre Ordinance that keeps states out of NEET ambit this year; Maharashtra says its efforts helped other states. However, students seeking admission in private colleges will have to appear for NEET.Hundreds of thousands of medical aspirants and their parents celebrated an early Diwali on Friday, distributing sweets and offering obeisance at various shrines, after the Centre on Friday issued an ordinance to partially overturn the Supreme Court order on NEET (see below).The Ordinance said that the state boards will be kept out of the ambit of NEET, a uniform medical entrance examination, for this year, but students hoping to secure admissions in private medical colleges and deemed universities will still have to appear for NEET, scheduled for July 24.Pravin Shingare, director, Directorate for Medical Education and Research (DMER), said, “This year, admissions to the state-run medical colleges will be on the basis of MHT CET (the state’s common entrance test). At the same time, admissions to private medical and dental colleges will be decided through NEET. Next year onwards, all admissions will be decided on the basis of NEET score.”Following the partial relief on Friday, the state government, which along with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has taken a lead role in opposing implementation of NEET this year, was quick to address a media conference and claim victory.“Our aim is to provide relief to students in the state, and thanks to our efforts, other states have also benefited. Even though students aiming for seats in private colleges will have to appear for NEET, at least there is an assurance that they will get seats on merit and not through donations,” state education minister Vinod Tawde said.Several students and parents also visited the residence of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who had called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few days ago, urging him to set aside NEET this year. One of the students, Samkit Sakhariya, said, “I am elated. I wish there was more clarity regarding admissions to private colleges, but such partial relief is welcome.”Several parents said that they had already paid the coaching institute fees following the Supreme Court order earlier this month, making NEET mandatory. “While the fees we paid is not at risk, there are many parents who might not get their money back. Even if they don’t, we are happy that our children will not suffer,” said one such parent, Ruiee Kapoor.Owners of a few coaching centres this newspaper spoke to said that students need not stop attending classes as the teachers would now focus on preparing them for MHT CET. “We will brush up on the MHT CET concepts for the students seeking admissions to state-run colleges. Those aspiring for private colleges can continue with NEET preparations,” said Pravin Tyagi, managing director of a city-based coaching institute.♦ The Centre proposed a common entrance test – the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) – for admissions to medical colleges. The main idea was to curb corruption in exams held at the state-level.♦ The proposal was rejected by several states, including Maharashtra. The states said that their syllabus was completely different and their students will suffer compared to those who have followed the Central board.♦ The matter reached the Supreme Court, which rejected the states’ appeal and ruled that students across the country must take just one common exam.♦ Politicians from across the parties got involved, some supporting NEET and others slamming it. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that “many leaders and lawmakers from many parties” run medical colleges and have their own reasons for opposing a common national test.♦ Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu said that it would be impossible to organise a common test citing logistics and syllabus difference, forcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call a Cabinet meeting.♦ Finance Minister Arun Jaitley met leaders of six political parties, including the Congress.♦ So far, more than six lakh students have appeared for the first phase of NEET on May 1. The second phase is on July 24.♦ On Friday, the Centre was forced to call an ordinance to put on hold the Supreme Court order, and defer NEET by a year.