State to conduct CET for medical

SC allowed States to conduct entrance tests for medical, dental colleges

The State government will make preparations to conduct the Common Entrance Test (CET) through the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses for the academic year 2013-14, Medical Education Minister S A Ramdas announced in Mysore on Monday.

The minister recently said students will only be required to write the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) from the next year. With the government gearing up for the CET, the students may now have to write both CET and NEET. The State government’s move follows a recent interim order of the Supreme Court which allowed states to conduct their own entrance tests for undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses.

Confusions over the issue will be dissipated afterthe apex court delivers its final verdict on the vexed issue, likely in January. Announcement of the national-level examination for admission to medical and dental courses from 2013 had met with stiff opposition from a section of students and other stakeholders. “State students will benefit if NEET was held, as more students will get admission under the merit quota as against CET,” Ramdas said.

Selection to the medical and dental courses were supposed to be made on the basis of the NEET-UG-2013 score. The examination was to be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), while states were supposed to conduct their own entrance tests for admission to engineering courses only.

The Supreme Court, in its interim order last week, allowed states and universities to conduct entrance tests for medical and dental courses, but prevented them from declaring the results. The final hearing and disposal of cases has been scheduled for January 15, 16 and 17.

“In case the Supreme Court decides to implement NEET, the State government will welcome it. At the same time, preparations will be made for the CET,” Ramdas said. “If the SC favours NEET, CET (for medical and dental courses) will be dropped. If not, CET will be held as usual.”

According to the Supreme Court’s interim order, entrance examination for postgraduate medical and dental courses will be conducted through the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences for the year 2013-14, Ramdas said.

A meeting has been convened on December 19 to discuss the issue, he said. The results, however, will be declared only after the Supreme Court delivers its final order.
 The National Board of Examinations (NBE), an apex examination body in postgraduate medical education, has already conducted the NEET-PG online, between November 23 and December 6.