City doctor writes to PM to allow state level exams this year

Two days after the three judges Bench of the Supreme Court had given a green signal to introduce national level medical entrance examination, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) throughout the country, a city based doctor has written to the Prime Minister urging him to take some steps so that thousands of medical aspirants from West Bengal can sit in the state level entrance examination this year.

Over 60 thousands candidates had filled up application forms to appear in the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations scheduled to take place May 17 this year. These medical aspirants were preparing for the examination but now they are confused about how they will prepare for the national level entrance examination within a short span of time, the syllabus of which is entirely different. 

As the Supreme Court in its order in April 28 stated that NEET should be introduced throughout the country and barring all the state level medical entrance examinations. It may be mentioned that it is the Centre and the Medical Council of India (MCI), Center owned body were trying to introduce one single entrance examinations like NEET throughout the country which was opposed by various states and Universities in 2009 when the Centre tried to introduce it for the first time.  

The three judges Bench of the Supreme Court on April 28 passed an order saying that NEET would be conducted in two phases. 

The first phase would be conducted on May 1 on the same day which was scheduled for All India PMT examinations. But the second phase of NEET would take place on July 24.

The candidates from the state who have already filled their application forms for AIPMT can sit for the NEET-1 examination on May 1 but those who have not filled the forms for AIPMT have to fill up fresh application for the NEET 2 on July 24. 

But it was never easy for the candidates to prepare for the national level examinations within a short span of time. Many state governments have decided to appeal before the five judges but the stand of the West Bengal government is still unclear.  West Bengal government is yet to come up with a decision as it would be its position in this regard.

Dr AK Maity who has written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard said that the students here are confused and so are their guardians after the three judges bench has ruled that the state level examinations will be scrapped.

“Our appeal before the PM is to consider the gravity of the matter. Either cancel the NEET 2016 or if it is done this year, it should be conducted through a single phase on July 24 (for 15 per cent of all India seats, about 15,000 seats in private medical colleges and the central government undertaking colleges like Aligarh Muslim Universtiy, Banaras Hindu University etc), or allow state level medical examinations at least for this year,” Dr Maity said.

He also said that it is never easy to prepare an entirely new syllabus within a short time. 

The students were mentally prepared to sit the state joint examinations but now they have come to know that we have to appear in the NEET, instead of the state joint entrance examinations.