SC Makes NEET Mandatory For Hindu Refugees From Bangladesh and Pakistan

Ministry of External affairs [MEA] scraps medical test exception for refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh as a measure to be more heedful to religious social groups.

Why? Because Supreme Court made National Eligibility-cum-Entrance test mandatory 2017 and to curb the commercialisation of medical education.

There is a list of 26 colleges from where MEA assist admission of such students on self - financing basis. They include institutes such as AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital. The sudden change in the norm is based on last year 's Supreme court 's ruling that made a common entrance test mandatory for medical and dental courses.

Both state-run and aided or unaided private institutions were not covered by a common eligibility or entrance test in the past few years. The court's decision to reinstate National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test and declare that it would be the sole means of admission from the current academic year itself came as a stunning blow to both the authorities and students.

The NDA government last year has allowed migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh to pursue medical courses through self-financing scheme based on their Class 12 marks. The criteria required is to score 60% in science subjects and 50% in English. However, excused from appearing in any entrance examination.

"The Central Board of Secondary Education had issued a notification in the previous year that from the academic year 2017-18 onwards, admission in all dental and medical colleges are based on NEET in India, including foreign nationals," sources said.

This includes religious minority migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh, mostly Hindus, appearing for entrance test to pursue medical courses on a self-financing basis in the country has been discarded.

The rule came into existence after the government changed admission process for foreign nationals to pursue medical courses adhere to Supreme Court order on the issue last year. Thanks to the ordinance, this year's MBBS admission is out of the way.