JOIN USWhen the matter came up for an informal discussion after the State Cabinet meeting, the minister reportedly said the students of Karnataka may find it difficult to answer some questions as there was no common syllabus between the one followed by the State and the syllabus prescribed for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) to be conducted by the Medical Council of India. The examination will be held next May.
But Medical Education Minister S A Ramdas stoutly opposed Acharya’s view. Ramdas is learnt to have said that in the interest of the students, the State should go for the all-India entrance test. It is said that private medical colleges and a deemed varsity were pressuring the government not to join the NEET.
The MCI will be drawing the merit list for all the three categories of seats - state government, management quota and minority/deemed universities. Even for payment or management seats, the merit list drawn by the MCI will have to be followed. This also means that managements can’t sell seats according to their whims and fancies, as the government will fix the fee.
Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda too had nurtured apprehensions about the State joining the NEET. He then decided to ask some senior ministers, including Acharya, Ramdas, Suresh Kumar and C M Udasi, to hold a meeting to discuss the pros and cons of the issue. The MCI is yet to decide the percentage of seats for management quota.