'NEET must for private colleges'

State govt institutions exempted this year

The Centre on Saturday clarified that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical and dental courses would be held on July 24 for all private, minority, deemed and other institutions.

The states, however, can conduct their own tests for admission to colleges run by them. An ordinance granting exemption to states for 2016 only is under way and awaits the President’s assent, sources said.

The Cabinet on Friday is learnt to have cleared the ordinance giving states a chance to conduct their own common entrance test in the colleges run by them, keeping in mind factors like ongoing tests of state governments, parity of syllabus and regional languages.

“We brought the NEET as everyone is in its favour. Private colleges, deemed universities and minority institutions, however, will come under the purview of NEET. The second phase of the NEET would take place on July 24. Only state governments have been given exemption for a year,” the sources said.

The government was keen to implement the Supreme Court order for holding NEET. The ordinance has been brought to address “certain practical issues” raised by the states, the sources further added.

As many as 15 states had raised objections to NEET. An NGO, that earlier approached the apex court for the implementation of NEET in 2016, has already said it will challenge the validity of the ordinance. The government is likely to rely on issues like parity in syllabus, use of local language as grounds for exemption to the states for this year.