GCET 2016 is invalid says Goa students

Goa: A writ petition has been filed in the SC by eight students in Goa pleading that admissions to medical courses in the states should not be based on GCET 2016. GCET 2016 was held on May 10 and 11 to admit students in MBBS and BDS seats. The matter is expected to be held for discussion on June 29.

The writ petition implies that the GCET exam conducted is invalid since the decision to hold the exam was taken post the Neet announcement. GCET was held in the interim period of the SC judgement on Neet and the central government ordinance, putting students in an anxious and confused state of mind.

As accessed by TOI, the students in their petition stated that the GCET was also held before the central government's ordinance that allowed admissions to state colleges to be held through their usual process only for 2016-17, and that the ordinance cannot be applied with retrospective effect.

Students in their plea statement also implied that there are other states like Telangana and J&K which have held their CET till the final decision on the Neet ordinance by the central government came into order. However, the students said that the same has not been followed in Goa.

GCET 2016 saw application from close to 5000 medical aspirants this year. GCET has introduced two new courses this year-which saw the addition of 2000 seats as per two more courses. Besides, 50 more seats have been added by the Vrundavan Institute of Nursing Education, Colvale, for its professional degree course this year. In addition, a proposal by Bharatiya Sanskruti Prabodhini’s Gomantak Ayurved Mahavidyalaya and Research Centre based in Shiroda to join the GCET has been recently approved by the state government. The institute offers a bachelor’s in ayurveda medicine and surgery.