Johnson Cherian.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a petition filed by a batch of students to direct the Tamil Nadu government to start counselling for MBBS courses in the State solely on the basis of NEET marks.
A Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra agreed to hear on August 17 the students, represented by senior advocate Nalini Chidambaram and advocate Anushree Menon, who contended that even the recent ordinance of the State government to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) this year was merely a political bargaining chip which would affect the lives and careers of students.
“The State government is prevaricating and attempting at the last moment to change the criteria for admission to MBBS seats in government medical colleges and government quota seats in self-financing colleges in Tamil Nadu from NEET-based to Plus 2 marks in violation of the Supreme Court’s decision and Section 10 D of the Medical Council of India Act. Tamil Nadu government is acting for extraneous considerations to benefit private State board schools,” the petition alleged.
Students fear more delay
The petition accused the “Tamil Nadu Ministers of bargaining with the Central government to get Presidential assent for an ordinance they propose to introduce exempting Tamil Nadu students from NEET for the academic year 2017-18 as a quid pro quo for supporting the NDA candidates for the Presidential and Vice-Presidential polls”.
The students said they apprehend that the State government would further delay the first round of State counselling for filling up the MBBS seats in the “hope of getting Presidential assent for the ordinance”.
The State government has been dragging its feet by not conducting even the first round of counselling from July 16, 2017. “It has not even released the NEET merit list and kept the students in the dark…,” the students said.
The students also highlighted a notification issued by the MCI on December 21, 2010 amending the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education of 1997 making NEET the sole basis for admission to MBBS course. “…The petitioners who are from the CBSE stream cannot compete with the State board students if Plus Two marks are taken as the criteria for selection to MBBS course,” the students pleaded.
