SC to examine Maha's plea for exemption from Medical CET

Updated on: Friday, November 11, 2011

The Supreme Court has agreed to examine Maharashtra's plea for exemption from the 2012-2013 National Common Entrance Test for Graduate and Postgraduate Courses of Medicine as according to the State differences in syllabus and some other changes would pose difficulties for students.

A bench headed by Justice H L Dattu posted the matter for hearing tomorrow after senior counsel Shekhar Naphade and counsel Sanjay Kharde mentioned it before the court.

Maharashtra's move comes in the wake of Andhra Pradesh Government's similar plea for exemption from the maiden all India test on the ground that the students would find it difficult to undertake the exam due to differences in syllabus and language barrier.

As per the new national level common entrance test the students must take the exam either in English or Hindi and do not have the advantage of any vernacular language as is the case with the State level common entrance test.

In a fresh application moved before the apex court, Maharashtra contended that the course prescribed by MCI and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is dissimilar to the syllabus taught in the State to Class 11th & 12th students.

"As such the new syllabus for common entrance test would be difficult for them to cope up in such short period of time gravely prejudicing their rights for being selected in any good medical college.

"That everyone knows the amount of stress for performing well in competitive exams, is enormous on students. Therefore, any such sudden changes will be demoralising for the students and can cause severe depression and anxiety problems with unfortunate consequences," the State said.

The State said though it was not against the single common entrance test, the syllabus prescribed by MCI would result in grave prejudice to the students of Maharashtra.

Students appearing in May 2012 have already finished the 11th standard portion as per old syllabus and nearly 75 to 80 per cent of 12th standard as per old State Board syllabus.

According to the State asking students to appear for entrance exams in May 2012 at this stage under a new syllabus "is highly unfair to them."

"If the common entrance is executed in May 2013 instead of May 2012, then the students will have a fair notice of 2 years to prepare as well as the teachers will be oriented for the same," the state said.

Hence it urged the apex court to direct the MCI to exempt the State from participating in the common entrance to be conducted from the academic year 2012-13 and instead permit the State to go ahead with its own MH-CET for the 2012-13 undergraduate courses.

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for undergraduates (NEET-UG) for admission to MBBS, Post Graduate and super speciality courses will be conducted in pursuance of the Supreme Court directive.

There are 42,000 seats for under graduate medical courses and 20,600 seats for PG medical courses in the country.

On July 22, MCI had published a Draft Core Syllabus of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses throughout the country.

The move is aimed at ensuring a uniform syllabus for the students across the country who intend to pursue the medical courses.

SC to examine Maha's plea for exemption from Medical CET

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