Welcome modifications

The Supreme Court of India has expressed its willingness to make certain modifications to its verdict mandating NEET as a single window for admissions to all government and private medical colleges in the country.

Several State governments including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, along with the Centre besides private medical colleges, conveyed to the apex court their reservations over the verdict.

The highest judiciary has taken a sympathetic view of some of these concerns, especially of those expressed by the State governments.

The Supreme Court rejecting the plea of private managements to have their own entrance test will go a long way in curbing the unbridled privatisation and commercialisation of medical education.

It will also help check rampant corruption that has of late crept into the medical admissions process in many States.However, the unilateral imposition of NEET from this year will certainly hurt the interests of many students, especially those studying in regional languages and with State board syllabi.

The State governments should be given reasonable time to bring their syllabi in consonance with that of the CBSE to ensure a level-playing field.

Thus, the Supreme Court agreed to consider the plea of several State governments against the implementation of NEET this year itself on the ground that the students are caught unprepared as the NEET will be held this year only in English and Hindi media.

Several States including Andhra Pradesh have already conducted their common entrance examinations by now, resulting in undesirable confusion for aspiring students and parents.

The Supreme Court has also clarified that the NEET is only an entrance test and States are allowed to regulate admissions in colleges as per their law.

This settles the objection to the NEET on the ground of Article 371(D) prevailing in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The court further clarified that the States have freedom to evolve their own admission criteria.

The modifications and the clarification are certainly to be welcomed. But, the confusion over the medical entrance should be removed once for all. The uncertainty is taking a toll on the preparation of the students.

The NEET should be mandatory for all private medical colleges to avoid tampering with the medical admissions. The States should be allowed to have their common entrance examination at least for a year or two to ensure that the students are not left unprepared.

Meanwhile, the syllabi at State boards should be made in tune with the CBSE syllabi. The NEET should also be conducted in all the constitutionally recognised Indian languages. Any errors in translation should be avoided at any cost.

States should be free to evolve their own admission criteria, appreciating the local conditions without violating any principles of natural justice.

Any State government or any government medical college should be given freedom to take NEET as the basis for the examination or even a combination of NEET score and the State-level CET score.

But a final word needs to be said at the earliest. Hope that the apex court which is scheduled to take up the matter on Monday addresses these concerns.