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Latest News |
| 20th
Aug 2010 / Times of India / Hyderabad Edition |
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Centre shelves medical CET as quota politics comes into
play
QUOTA CAULDRON
Pressure From State Govts Make Health Ministry Backtrack
New Delhi: In a major blow, Indias plans to conduct a
common entrance test (CET) for all students aspiring to
study medicine from next year, has for the time being
been shelved.
The decision comes just a couple of days after the Medical
Council of India (MCI) announced that the Union health
ministry had cleared the proposal for a CET for undergraduate
and post-graduate courses in medical colleges across the
country.
The ministry has been under tremendous pressure from several
state governments, including Tamil Nadu, to shelve the
idea.
On Thursday, Union health secretary K Sujatha Rao told
TOI, The CET is being kept in abeyance and is being deferred
for some time now. MCI has informed us that wider consultation
with all state governments are needed before going ahead
with the plan. We will bring up the issue on the Aug 30
meeting of the Central council of health and family welfare.
States such as Tamil Nadu had some reservations about
the test. We will soon work out the modalities and fine
tune the proposal.
In the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, both DMK and AIADMK had
opposed the proposal. Expressing reservations on the test,
PMK chief S Ramadoss had asked chief minister M Karunanidhi
to take up the matter strongly with the Centre. Ramadoss
had said the system would only benefit urban students.
This will allow backdoor entry of the CET in the state
which was abolished a few years back in the interest of
rural students. Further, it will also act against the
state governments 69% reservation concept, he had said
in a statement.
The ministry was actually planning to come out with the
notification of CET within the next one week. Chairperson
of MCIs six-member board of governors Dr S K Sarin had
said a single entrance test would substantially reduce
the stress level of the students, who, under the current
system, have to sit for up to seven separate entrance
tests.
Under the new entrance which would be called the National
Eligibility Test, the colleges can choose from separate
merit lists for students in the general, minority, disabled
and any other categories.
The Medical Council of India decision meant there would
be just one entrance examination each for MBBS and MD
offered by all 271 medical colleges 138 government-run
and 133 under private management in the country. Together,
these colleges offer over 31,000 seats for MBBS courses
and another 11,000 for PG.
Panel member Dr Devi Shetty had said the CET would allow
a student to give his best shot at one go.
The students will, however, have to apply separately to
every college on the choice of his preference, be it AIIMS
or PGI Chandigarh or a private medical college, after
appearing for the exam.
A student will get through only if he has the adequate
marks. The panel has held consultations with the Central
Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for the proposed test.
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