NEET aspirants can take exams in own districts

Students will be able to appear for NEET exams in their own districts from next year and will not be forced to travel to far-off states, the government said on Thursday.

It also said the Centre will seek affidavits from state governments to ensure accuracy of translated NEET (National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test conducted by CBSE for admission to MBBS/BDS courses) question papers from next year.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar made the announcement in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday during Zero Hour after AIADMK MP Vijila Satyanath flagged the issue of some students from Tamil Nadu travelling to Rajasthan and even Sikkim to appear for NEET.

Satyanath also referred to the death of a man in Kerala's Ernakulam when he was accompanying his son for the examination. The students, who took the NEET exam in Tamil, were also in for a shock as there were errors in the Tamil translation of the question paper. The matter even reached the court's doorsteps.

"From next year, there will be no displacement of students. They can appear for the exam in their own districts," Javadekar said as Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu too joined the issue, asking why a student should travel outside his/her state to appear for the exam.

The AIADMK MP also referred to errors in the Tamil translation of the question paper which put students in trouble, and the CBSE appeal in Supreme Court against the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court order that gave 196 grace marks to affected candidates. She said 49 questions translated to Tamil were vague.

"The matter is sub judice. I will not comment on this," Javadekar said, adding that the translators were provided by state governments. From next time, he said, the ministry will seek affidavits from states that the translations were correct.

CPM Rajya Sabha MP T K Rangarajan had approached the Madurai Bench claiming that nearly one-third of the question paper was translated wrongly into Tamil.

The appeal is coming up before the court on Friday and Satyanath urged the government to take a stand that will help the students.