NEET issue: Maharashtra govt asks students to appear for MH-CET on May 5

Maharashtra Medical Education minister Vinod Tawde on Friday said the state government would file a review petition in the Supreme Court with regard to NEET and said students aspiring for admission to medical courses should appear for the state's medical entrance examination, MH-CET, on May 5.

Tawde said MH-CET will be held as per the schedule. "There is no change. The students who have prepared for the MH-CET should appear for it. The state Government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court," he told reporters. The Supreme Court today said the entrance test for admission to MBBS and BDS courses for the academic year 2016-17 will be held as per the schedule through the single common National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) on May 1 and July 24.

Tawde said those who appear for the NEET can also appear for the May 5 MH-CET. Even if the SC turned down state's plea to allow it to hold the MH-CET on May 5, the students still have the chance to appear for the NEET on July 24, he said. He asserted that the state will conduct the medical admission process as per the MH-CET results.

In its review petition, the state will argue before the apex court that the students from HSC (state) Board, appearing for the 85% of the state-level admission quota seats, will not be able to compete with the students from CBSE boards in the NEET because of the different syllabus.

Asked why the state did not move the SC yesterday, the minister said besides Maharashtra there were other states such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal who have their own CETs for medical admissions.