Reducing NEET 2019 cutoff for BAMS, BSMS, BUMS and BHMS Admissions: Madras Hc notice to govt

Chennai: Taking cognizance of a petition seeking to lower of NEET cutoff for AYUSH admissions including BAMS, BSMS, BUMS and BHMS courses this year, the Madras High Court has issued notices to the Centre, state governments, Selection Committee, Directorate of Indian Medicine, the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, National Testing Agency (NTA) and others.

NEET has been the gateway to all medical courses in the country including MBBS, BDS as well as BAMS, BSMS, BUMS and BHMS. However, with the cut-offs prescribed many seats have been going vacant across courses

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According to recent media accounts, a petition has been filed with the Madras HC that sought the bench to issue directives to the concerned authorities for lowering the eligibility marks prescribed for admission to BAMS, BSMS, BUMS and BHMS. Besides this, the petitioner who is an AYUSH course aspirant urged the bench to extend the cutoff date of admission for the academic session 2019-2020 as many AYUSH seats are lying vacant despite the admission process concluded on October 15

th.

It is reported that after completing his plus two, the petitioner had appeared for NEET 2019 conducted by the NTA but his score was below the cut off marks prescribed by the Union government.

During the hearing of the petition, the counsel appearing for the AYUSH candidate notified the HC bench that NEET was made mandatory for admission to BAMS, BHMS, BSMS and BUMS for the first time from the academic year 2019-20. However, due to the high NEET cut-off mark prescribed by the authorities, many eligible students, who had secured good marks in Class XII board exams, failed to achieve the cut-off resulting in huge vacancies in both government and management quota seats.

A total of 394 seats were available under the management quota in the state of Tamil Nadu for the AYUSH courses. 555 students had applied under the management quota, of which, only 116 students got allotment letter. As of now there were about 278 vacant seats available under the management quota and 230 seats were vacant under the government quota (including All India quota) in the state.

It was submitted that in the notification issued by the Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy for this year admissions, it was indicated that even candidates, who scored lower percentile mark could apply for admission to Indian Medicine courses for the current academic year. Accordingly, the petitioner has applied for the AYUSH seat.

Further pointing out that when similar situation happened in BDS admissions this year where a huge number of seats were left vacant, the cut-off marks were reduced by the Centre, the petitioner urged the HC to direct the government to follow the same procedure for admission to AYUSH courses as well.

The Deccan Chronicle reports that the petitioner sent a representation dated October 9, 2019 to the authorities requesting them to lower the qualifying cut off percentile for NEET 2019 for AYUSH admissions and further to extend the cutoff date of admission for the current academic session to November 15, 2019. However, there was no response.

Adding that the Ministry of AYUSH during the previous academic year had extended the time for admission up to November 15 as the cutoff date, the petitioner pleaded the court to direct the ministry to extend the admission date for this academic session as well, adds TOI

Admitting the plea, the HC issued notices to the Centre, state governments, Selection Committee, Directorate of Indian Medicine, the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, National Testing Agency (NTA) and 3 others seeking their reply by October 30th.

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