State Planning Not To Participate In NEET 2013

The Madhya Pradesh State Government is planning not to participate in the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) 2013 for admissions to medical and dental colleges in the state. It is like to have a separate entrance examination at state level soon, a step that might land it into a legal issue.

If the proposal is accepted by the govt, the medical & dental courses aspirants from the state have to appear for the two entrance exams instead of one. They would have to appear for state government's pre-medical entrance test separately fro seeking admission to the colleges in the state, while they have to appear for NEET, if they also want to keep their options open regarding other medical colleges across the country.

The main purpose of holding a countrywide common entrance test was to save the students from trouble of attempting multiple admission tests for national level and the state level institutes. Apart from this, the common test is expected to ensure quality and equality of medical education in all parts of country.

Admissions to all the government and private medical & dental colleges in the country would be done through a common entrance test from the academic year 2013-14. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi conducts the NEET 2013 on May 05, 2013. The test is being conducted at the behest of the Medical Council of India (MCI), after the supreme court gave a nod to conduct the exam last year.

After the Supreme Court decision, It is binding upon the states to participate in the national level test. Yet some of the states are agitate on the decision probably owing to apprehensions related to losing control over the admission process. Education is considered a state matter and final decision related to the sector lies with the state governments. Other state that are reportedly planning to forgo the NEET include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.

The state government is planning to propose to the union government that if plans to go ahead with the state level pre-medical test for admissions in state colleges for the academic session 2013-14 too.

Dr SC Towari, Director of Medical Education said, "A proposal is in the offing, though it is not final yet," When asked the reason for such a decision, he said the decision is taken at the topmost level and he would not be able to comment on it. Sources however said that the decision might be owing to political considerations and apprehension of losing control.

IN a mean while, NEET test for postgraduate admission would be conducted by the National Board of Examination (NBE) as a computer based test.

However, the Association of Private Dental and Medical Colleges (APSMC) of Madhya Pradesh would be holding a separate PG Entrance test - Pre PG DMAT (Dental and Medical Admission Test) on Jan 06, 2013 for admissions to 50% of PG Seats in the medical and dental colleges of the state according to a supreme court ruling.