NEET: Maharashtra to file review petition

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the state government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court regarding its last minute decision on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) as it will affect a large number of students. On Thursday, the SC gave a go ahead to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Medical Council of India (MCI) to conduct Neet in two phases on May 1 and July 24 for admission to under-graduate and post-graduate medical and dental courses.

The SC decision has set off a fresh wave of panic and frustration in the student community that was aspiring for admissions to the medical and dental courses in Mumbai and Maharashtra. According to students and parents the SC decision will be detrimental to their aspirations as there is very little time for them to prepare for the second phase.

“We have been preparing for the Common Entrance Test by studying the state syllabus for the past two years. As the NEET is based on the CBSE syllabus, two months is insufficient for us to prepare for the second phase of Neet,” said a student.

Parents also objected to the SC order and said it would put their children at a disadvantage and could also result in missing out on a chance to secure a seat in medical or dental college. “There is a difference in the state and CBSE science syllabus. The SC should have taken this into consideration before giving the go ahead to CBSE and the MCI proposals. We hope that the apex court takes cognisance of the same and issues fresh orders,” said a parent.

However, some academicians said preparing for phase two would not be very difficult as students could solve the Neet papers of 2012 and 2013 to get attuned to the pattern and syllabus.

Meanwhile, in the absence of medical education minister Vinod Tawde who is on a foreign tour, Mr Fadnavis said on twitter, “As large number of students would get affected by the last minute decision of Hon SC on #NEET, our State Govt will file a review petition.”

In the recent assembly session Mr Tawde had assured the House that the state medical and dental colleges would conduct admissions through the state-held CET and would adopt Neet from 2017 only. He had given the assurance after conferring with the CBSE board and MCI. However, with phase two of NEET being announced, the state will ask for the SC order to be reviewed.