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All set for CET, Health Ministry takes U-turn
Exposing its short-sightedness, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday expressed its helplessness in conducting the much-hyped National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), also known as Common Entrance Test (CET) — meant to carry out admissions to all undergraduate medical and dental courses through a single entrance test.
After giving its consent to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the agency of the Union Human Resource Development Ministry responsible to conduct the test, the Union Health Ministry made a U-turn demanding deferment of the examination, scheduled for the academic year 2012-13.
The difference of view between the two Ministries of the Central Government became apparent after the Health Ministry filed an application in the Supreme Court demanding the test scheduled for May 13, 2012 to be postponed for the next academic session of 2013-14.
The conduct of Under Graduate National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (UG-NEET) is a Herculean task which requires great deal of preparation and for paucity of time it is practically impossible to resolve the issues raised by various State Governments and hold the test in 2012, the Health Ministry maintained.
It cited the objections raised by States like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, who are willing to conduct the national test from 2013-14. It pointed out Andhra Pradesh is seeking an exemption of two years, Kerala is demanding its reservation policies to be kept intact, Assam is disputing the criteria for minimum marks, West Bengal is insisting on inclusion of Bengali language as a medium for conduct of the said examination and Puducherry is wanting an exemption from the test itself.
Interestingly, the application has come at a time when the CBSE has moved the apex court seeking permission for holding NEET as per a schedule fixed in consultation with all concerned stakeholders including the Health Ministry.
The CBSE application said, “All the stakeholders viz CBSE, Medical Council of India and Director General of Health Services have accorded consent for conduct of UG-NEET in the manner indicated above (as per schedule).”
The schedule laid down the last date for receipt of application forms as January 16, 2012, dispatch of admit cards by April 12 and declaration of result latest by last week of June. This schedule, according to CBSE, was taken at a meeting held on July 18, 2011 under the chairmanship of Union Health Secretary. It was this meeting that decided to assign CBSE the task to conduct the first ever national level entrance examination.
Oblivious to the difference of views brewing between the Health Ministry and CBSE, the Supreme Court bench of Justices HL Dattu and CK Prasad had on Wednesday already adjourned the hearing of the case to January 2012, when both the applications will be taken up for hearing.
Exposing its short-sightedness, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday expressed its helplessness in conducting the much-hyped National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), also known as Common Entrance Test (CET) — meant to carry out admissions to all undergraduate medical and dental courses through a single entrance test.
After giving its consent to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the agency of the Union Human Resource Development Ministry responsible to conduct the test, the Union Health Ministry made a U-turn demanding deferment of the examination, scheduled for the academic year 2012-13.
The difference of view between the two Ministries of the Central Government became apparent after the Health Ministry filed an application in the Supreme Court demanding the test scheduled for May 13, 2012 to be postponed for the next academic session of 2013-14.
The conduct of Under Graduate National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (UG-NEET) is a Herculean task which requires great deal of preparation and for paucity of time it is practically impossible to resolve the issues raised by various State Governments and hold the test in 2012, the Health Ministry maintained.
It cited the objections raised by States like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, who are willing to conduct the national test from 2013-14. It pointed out Andhra Pradesh is seeking an exemption of two years, Kerala is demanding its reservation policies to be kept intact, Assam is disputing the criteria for minimum marks, West Bengal is insisting on inclusion of Bengali language as a medium for conduct of the said examination and Puducherry is wanting an exemption from the test itself.
Interestingly, the application has come at a time when the CBSE has moved the apex court seeking permission for holding NEET as per a schedule fixed in consultation with all concerned stakeholders including the Health Ministry.
The CBSE application said, “All the stakeholders viz CBSE, Medical Council of India and Director General of Health Services have accorded consent for conduct of UG-NEET in the manner indicated above (as per schedule).”
The schedule laid down the last date for receipt of application forms as January 16, 2012, dispatch of admit cards by April 12 and declaration of result latest by last week of June. This schedule, according to CBSE, was taken at a meeting held on July 18, 2011 under the chairmanship of Union Health Secretary. It was this meeting that decided to assign CBSE the task to conduct the first ever national level entrance examination.
Oblivious to the difference of views brewing between the Health Ministry and CBSE, the Supreme Court bench of Justices HL Dattu and CK Prasad had on Wednesday already adjourned the hearing of the case to January 2012, when both the applications will be taken up for hearing.
