TN not to go ahead with CET this year

Updated on: Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Tamil Nadu will continue its current practice of preparing the medical merit list based on marks scored in plus two and allot seats in government medical and self-financing colleges according to the rule of reservation for this year's medical college admission, told State Health Secretary, VK Subburaj

Tamil Nadu will not participate in the nationwide Common Entrance Test (CET) conducted by the Medical Council of India. The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Tamil Nadu can be exempted from the CET that will be conducted across the country.

The Union health ministry has also clearly stated that it does not favour a test this year, said Subburaj.

Tamil Nadu scrapped the common entrance test for admission to medicine and engineering courses four years ago. Now, students are admitted through a single-window counseling. The state presently has 17 government medical colleges and nine self-financing colleges affiliated to the state medical university.

On Dec 21, the MCI notified that a national eligibility-cum-entrance test is mandatory for admission to MBBS courses. It also said that marks obtained in mathematics would also be considered for admission. Only candidates who had scored 50% will be eligible for admissions.

The Union health ministry announced that the notification was issued without its consent and was hence "invalid." The deputy secretary Sube Singh had written to the MCI asking them to withdraw the notification.

The Madras High Court has stayed the applicability of MCI's December 27, 2010, notification on a single common entrance test to Tamil Nadu on the ground that the state had its own law on the subject and legislation was appoved by the President.

Subburaj maintained that the view of the state government has not changed. Since students appear for the public examination there is no need for another entrance test.

Officials fear that urban students will have an edge in such aptitude tests. "The subjects and the portions are the same. The only difference is testing the aptitude," said Subburaj. Most of the students admitted to the professional courses before 2006 were from the city, and they have access to professional coaching centres. "Students in rural areas are denied such opportunities," he said.

However, many colleges managements say that they have already sold application forms for 2011.

TN not to go ahead with CET this year

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