New Delhi: Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday said that the presidential nod to the Centre’s Ordinance on uniform medical entrance examination (NEET) that keeps state boards out of its purview has given it a much-needed statutory support.
Addressing a press briefing on the issue, Health Minister JP Nadda said, ”Through this ordinance, NEET has been given a statutory support.”
“There are States which have deferred their exam like U.P. while Bihar has opted for NEET. They have an option. But these seats will be filled either by NEET or State governments,” he added.
Maintaining that NEET or the common medical entrance examination has been implemented from May 1, the Health Minister said, ”In some sections of media, it was coming that NEET has been deferred. I want to make it clear that in fact it has been implemented.”
The Health Minister said while states will be able to hold the undergraduate exams, the postgraduate exams to be held in December will be under NEET.
NEET: President Pranab Mukherjee signs Centre’s Ordinance on uniform medical entrance examination
The central government was committed to implementing NEET but the states expressed their concerns which had to be addressed, Nadda said.
“State governments wanted exemption and the issues were related to parity of syllabus and option of giving exam in regional languages,” Nadda said.
“After due consultation, we came out with an Ordinance, which provides NEET a statutory basis and where we give state governments an option to conduct examination and those who have conducted exams to go forward in that direction,” he said.
State governments will get an opportunity to appear this year (2016-17) for under-graduate examinations. But this year from December, the post-graduation examination will be held under NEET provisions, Nadda added.
“All private institutions and medical colleges will come under the ambit of NEET. The State governments will get an option to either conduct their …
The reactions from the Health Minister came shortly after President Pranab Mukherjee gave his nod to the Centre’s Ordinance or the executive order which puts on hold the common medical exam NEET for a year.
The President gave his consent after seeking more information and clarification on few points from the Union Health Ministry over its decision to bring an Ordinance on uniform medical entrance examination NEET that sought to keep state boards out of its purview.