What is the issue?
- Recently Tamilnadu government had submitted a draft ordinance on National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) to Centre.
- This last-minute exemption may lead to more complexities in proceedings.
What is the status Medical admissions in Tamilnadu?
- Tamil Nadu abolished entrance tests for professional courses in 2006.
- It fears that the introduction of NEET would jeopardise the admission prospects of rural students who cannot afford the extra coaching and higher workload that preparing for NEET entails.
- The centre was very clear that this year’s medical admissions in Tamil Nadu would be solely based on the NEET.
- Tamil Nadu government feels that a buffer time should have been given before the conversion to the new system.
- In Tamil Nadu, in academic year 2016-17, about 88,431 students who appeared for NEET in TN, at least 95% are from the State board, while only 5% are from CBSE and other Boards.
- To safeguard the interest of its students, recently it had submitted a draft ordinance on NEET.
What are the provisions?
- It is seeking one-time exemption to admit MBSS/BDS aspirants based on their 12th standard scores for this year alone.
- This is to protect the interests of poor students from rural areas
- It is also to ensure that medical personnel are available in all remote parts of the State.
What are the issues with draft ordinance?
- The last minute change in the basis for admission will cause heartburn to students who have cleared NEET.
- If the Centre was ready to grant a one-time exemption, it ought to have done so much earlier and not now.
- If the exemption is stayed by the courts, another set of students and parents will once again feel deprived.
- This belated move is bound to spawn further litigation and encourage similar demands elsewhere
Source: The Hindu
