Ordinance: Not so NEET anymore

New Delhi: After days of speculation, the government on Tuesday notified the ordinance exempting state government medical colleges from the ambit of the Supreme Court-ordered National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for a year. The decks were cleared Tuesday morning after President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent for the promulgation of the ordinance that proposed amendments to the Indian Medical Council Act of 1956 and the Dentists Act of 1948 before he left for China.

The President had earlier raised some doubts on the "need" and "urgency" of the ordinance and had summoned Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda to explain the rationale behind the ordinance.

A series of meetings between officials of the health ministry and Rashtrapati Bhavan took place till late Monday night and early Tuesday morning before the President gave his assent.

The ordinance gives the states the option to either conduct their own exam or be part of NEET to fill 85% of the undergraduate medical and dental seats, 15% of the remaining seats will be filled through the NEET route by all-India counseling.
The ordinance doesn't give any relief to the private medical colleges. Sources clarified that the uniform entrance examination will be applicable to all private medical colleges in relation to their own and management quota seats.