NEET 2016 updates: NEET exam likely to be rescheduled to a later date

Breaking news!

According to a recent media report, the NEET Phase II dates is likely to be changed from July 24 to sometime later. CBSE is taking into account the big logistics arrangement required to be made. The board is expecting 6-8 lakh students more to appear for the exam.

What lies ahead!

There are 4 clear exceptions to the recent verdict of NEET as mandatory for seeking medical admissions. Two prominent medical institutes have been allowed to hold their exams since they come under the central legislation regulation. One is AIIMS and the other is PGIMER in Chandigarh.

Another state making it to the list of exemption (EAMCET 2016) is Telangana, which will be conducting its own examination on May 20. It has been granted exemption under article 371 (D) act -which allows the state government to safeguard the interest of the locals. APEAMCET has been conducted on its scheduled date, however still lacks clarity on the validity issue.

Then, making to the cut-to-cut exemption list is J&K, with a rider (please read below for details on the matter). In brief, J&K students appearing for NEET will have to secure 50% marks in state subjects recognized by the medical colleges here. No other students will be granted admission to state medical colleges except those who appear for state subjects.

The latest verdict of the Supreme Court on state CET’s has led to lot of confusion and chaos among students across states. Few state governments have filed a review petition, while some states have gone ahead and held their own examination-only to be considered as invalid at a later date.

Goa CET conducted on May 10

Common entrance test-GCET was conducted in Goa on May 10. 97% students, who had earlier registered, appeared on the date to take the exam. However, at present the test stands invalid for admission in medical and dental courses, following Supreme Court’s recent verdict making NEET mandatory.

The latest development on NEET did not dampen the spirit of majority of the students who took the exam on Tuesday. The SC verdict just came few hours before GCET was scheduled-which also added to the huge attendance; amid the last-minute confusion. Still, many appeared for the exam as they lacked clarity on whether the exam will give them an option to seek medical admission later. Besides, they have an additional choice to opt for other professional courses like engineering through the exam.

GCET chairperson for 2016, V N Shet, said to TOI that, "Only around three percent or 175 students remained absent from Tuesday's GCET physics and chemistry exams. We visited a few centres and the absentism was negligible. Students opted to answer GCET as it also serves as preparation for them to answer the national tests like NEET."

Officials in addition implied that the exact registered number of students for GCET 2016 is reported to be 5,351. Out of which 4,200 had registered for biology paper also. This figure of 4,200 can be considered as total medical aspirants in Goa.

The schedule of the GCET is as follows- physics and chemistry papers conducted on May 10, and Maths and Biology paper held on May 11. For students seeking admission in medicines and dentistry courses, physics, chemistry, and biology scores are compulsory. Maths is for engineering, however, there were some students who took all the four subjects to keep their admissions safe and intact this year.

GCET offers admissions to pharmacy, homeopathy, ayurveda, engineering and paramedical degree course seats. Parents and students both are reported to under stress after the recent decision on NEET was announced.

A parent outside one of the GCET centres on Tuesday told TOI, "My child will be answering NEET as well. It's such a short notice and impossible to prepare like this. It truly is a loss of students efforts and is very disappointing for the parents as well. The intention may have its reasons, but, implementing it at the 11th hour is not right. Also, Goans may not get the seats at Goa medical college (GMC) and someone else might grab them."

West Bengal

Amid the fear and stress to appear for NEET phase II on July 24, there are many students reported to be rushing for enrollment in private coaching classes. These are students who have studied in separate boards, and are now staring at situation of clear disparity in syllabus.

"NEET is quite difficult to crack for rural students like me. It will only give impetus to private tuition and coaching centres in the cities which we simply can't afford. In 2013 when NEET was introduced, we saw how those who took coaching from various private tutorial classes got through," says Humayun Kabir, a second year Medical Student told Indiatoday.

In addition, the majority of the students in the state have completed their studies in vernacular language. With NEET to be held in English, it is unlikely to have an option of conducting the exam in a vernacular language, as yet. It is a major hindrance for many medical aspirants from West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, who have majorly completed their education in Bengali.

Dr. Mridul Sarkar, State Secretary of AIDSO is raising voice against the implementation of NEET in Bengal with a view that rural students in the state will suffer, clearly because of the language barrier. He told the press that, “NEET should not be introduced this year especially without consulting it with the students and intellectuals.”

However, there are still few people in the state who think otherwise of the NEET decision. A veteran cardiac surgeon Dr Kunal Sarkar in his statement implied that multiple-level entrance test such as NEET is a great step forward. Students will benefit, with no practice of back-door entry and influence used in securing admissions.

Jammu & Kashmir

Medical aspirants in the state are more confused as they are now aware of the SC verdict while the J&K’s Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE) website gives updated information that the CET 2016 is now rescheduled. The new dates given for the examination are 14th and 15th (Saturday/Sunday) of May, 2016’.

State government is also reported to have filed a petition in SC to grant a special status to J&K and exempt it from NEET implementation.

If we go by the exact copy of the new law, then all students appearing for NEET will be eligible for admission in J&K colleges. SC, however, has cleared this confusion implying that though students will be required to take the NEET, it will only be the state subjects which will make students eligible for admission in medical college in the state.

Still, so much is happening at the time of the examination. To top it all, a student will have to secure 50% marks (NEET) in the three subjects to secure admission in state medical colleges on merit. It has been confirmed in a local daily, that BOPEE has taken the decision to provide counseling only to students with 50% marks in three subjects. Following which, they will be selected for admission in MBBS or BDS course.

“Yes, a student has to now mandatorily secure 50 % marks in all the three subjects to get counted in the merit,” J&K Law Secretary, Muhammad Ashraf Mir, told Kashmir Life Wednesday evening.

The J&K Law Secretary further said, “for SCs, STs and OBCs, they are supposed to secure 40% marks in all the three subjects to get counted in overall merit.”

Pune

Private medical colleges in Pune are not conducting separate medical admission entrance test. To add to the woes of the local candidates seeking admission in state medical colleges, a recent statement by the director of medical education and research (DMER), Dr Pravin Shingare, to the

press does not give any better news. Dr Pravin Shingare, admits that their review petition challenging the Supreme Court ruling may not come up for hearing soon.

“This is a legal battle that the state is undertaking,” Shingare said, adding, it was likely that the petition will be taken up after the vacation break. At DY Patil deemed university, which has 14 centres across the country, including one medical college (250 seats) in Pimpri, their separate common entrance test on May 14 has been cancelled.

Meanwhile, The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), have also been in action on the matter demanding a common basic syllabus for class XII. It has registered an official grievance with the PM asking for the same.

Dr Sagar Mundada, President of state unit of MARD in his statement to Express newspaper confirmed that a common basic syllabus demand is in view of the recent verdict on NEET. MARD is also seeking support from medical education minister, Vinod Tawde, to monitor the extra-fees students are being forced to pay for private coaching classes.

A petition has been signed by 200 students demanding a common syllabus.