Questions on NEET, exemptions raised once again in Lok Sabha; Dr Harsh Vardhan Responds
New Delhi: The Madras High Court's calling for NEET cancellation became a matter of concern during a recent Lok Sabha session where Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan maintained that NEET shall apply across the country without any exemption.
The matter was raised by members TR Baalu, M Selvaraj who asked the Union Minister whether the Government is aware of the observation of Madras HC to scrap NEET for being unfair to Government school students.
On this, Dr Harsh Vardhan informed the parliament that the High Court had not recorded any observation for the scrapping of NEET. The Supreme Court had earlier allowed conducting of NEET and also clarified that only this test would enable students to get admission to MBBS or BDS courses.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported the Madras High Court assertion that the entrance exam has been disadvantageous to students who could not afford NEET coaching classes and is discriminatory towards them. The HC had stated "Why can't the centre cancel NEET"
NEET, which was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013, was restored in April 2016, by a five-judge constitution bench that allowed the Centre and the Medical Council of India (MCI) to implement the common entrance test. In 2016, following requests from states like Tamil Nadu, government colleges were granted exemption from NEET for a year. This ended in 2017.
The division bench had observed that NEET discriminates against the poor and instead of giving the expected good results, has benefited only students who spend lakhs of rupees on coaching classes and put rural students at a disadvantage.
Further, the Lok Sabha members sought details on whether only 100 students got medical admissions through NEET without taking any private coaching classes out of 4,850 seats during the current academic year in Government and self-financing colleges in Tamil Nadu. To this, Dr Harsh Vardhan informed the parliament that no data with regard to admissions of the students made with or without taking private coaching classes is maintained centrally.
On being asked whether the Government has received any requests from the States/UTs seeking exemption from NEET and if it proposes to scrap NEET or give exemption to Tamil Nadu in the interest of the poor and rural students; the Minister replied the proposals received in respect with the same were in direct contravention of Section 10D of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and thus, the same was not supported by the Ministry. The provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 for conducting NEET shall apply across the country without any exemption.
The matter was raised by members TR Baalu, M Selvaraj who asked the Union Minister whether the Government is aware of the observation of Madras HC to scrap NEET for being unfair to Government school students.
On this, Dr Harsh Vardhan informed the parliament that the High Court had not recorded any observation for the scrapping of NEET. The Supreme Court had earlier allowed conducting of NEET and also clarified that only this test would enable students to get admission to MBBS or BDS courses.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported the Madras High Court assertion that the entrance exam has been disadvantageous to students who could not afford NEET coaching classes and is discriminatory towards them. The HC had stated "Why can't the centre cancel NEET"
NEET, which was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013, was restored in April 2016, by a five-judge constitution bench that allowed the Centre and the Medical Council of India (MCI) to implement the common entrance test. In 2016, following requests from states like Tamil Nadu, government colleges were granted exemption from NEET for a year. This ended in 2017.
The division bench had observed that NEET discriminates against the poor and instead of giving the expected good results, has benefited only students who spend lakhs of rupees on coaching classes and put rural students at a disadvantage.
The whole matter had come to HC's purview after an aspiring medical student, had filed the PIL for a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to undertake proper counselling and 'mop-up procedure' to fill 207 vacant management quota MBBS seats in various colleges. Subsequently, the court widened the scope of the aspirant's petition, taking note of the NEET impersonation scam which surfaced in October this year and had jolted the state.
During the course of hearing, the counsel for the government, complying with the court's October 25 directive, submitted a list of candidates who got admission after attending coaching classes and those without doing so.
Noticing the data, the HC had said that it was shocking that only a negligible number of candidates got admission without coaching and the medical education is not available for the poor which also puts the rural students at disadvantage.
Further, the Lok Sabha members sought details on whether only 100 students got medical admissions through NEET without taking any private coaching classes out of 4,850 seats during the current academic year in Government and self-financing colleges in Tamil Nadu. To this, Dr Harsh Vardhan informed the parliament that no data with regard to admissions of the students made with or without taking private coaching classes is maintained centrally.
On being asked whether the Government has received any requests from the States/UTs seeking exemption from NEET and if it proposes to scrap NEET or give exemption to Tamil Nadu in the interest of the poor and rural students; the Minister replied the proposals received in respect with the same were in direct contravention of Section 10D of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and thus, the same was not supported by the Ministry. The provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 for conducting NEET shall apply across the country without any exemption.
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