The dilemma over the fate of first ever National Eligibility-cum-entrance test is to end on Monday with the Supreme Court expected to pronounce its judgment.
The apex court had earlier directed the exam conducting body to hold the results, putting the Post graduate (PG) medical students who appeared for the first ever National Eligibility-cum-entrance test (NEET) that held in November and December 2012 by the National Board of Examination (NBE) in a fix.
While, the regulation by the Medical Council of India (MCI) suggests that results be declared by January 31, the results could not be declared, following the direction of the Supreme Court. “The confusion may end Monday after the court’s judgment,” said a senior official.
The NBE had for the first time conducted NEET-PG from November 23rd, 2012 to December 6th, 2012 as a Computer Based Test (CBT). NEET-PG is a mandatory test for gaining entry to MD/MS/PG diploma. Over 95,000 candidates registered for the computer based admission test for the PG medical courses which was held at 50 centres in 33 cities across the country.
However, after some states and students opposed to the new system of exam the matter reached the court, which in its recent order asked the Medical Council of India (MCI), Dental Council of India (DCI), as well as states, universities and the other institutions to conduct their respective examinations for the MBBS, BDS and Post Graduate courses. However it also said that results shall not be declared until further orders of the court. The students and the exam conducting bodies have been waiting for the judgment of the court since January.
The new method of exam was being replicated from the IIM model-an “online test” format for the students-which they introduced three years back. The PG medical test was conducted for all private and government medical colleges, barring All India Institute of Medical College (AIIMS), PGI Chandigarh and JIPMER Pondicherry. AIIMS conduct PG exam for 50 per cent of the government seats on behalf of DGHS which comes to around 4,000 seats.
The online system which kick started for the first time offered flexibility for candidates to choose any date in the 10-day period for the test.