Says state already has a common entrance test for admission to med courses; feels
NEET complicates process
The Gujarat government has refused to accept the National
Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS course after class 12.
Government spokesperson and state health minister Jay Narayan Vyas cited legal complications
and also stated that the national level test would not be in the interest of Gujarat
students.
Talking to the media on Wednesday, 10th August Vyas said, "Gujarat has a single
window system for admission to professional courses. The state has already been
implementing the Supreme Court guidelines in this regard since 2007. The state conducts
a common entrance examination every year known as GUJCET under the Gujarat Professional
Medical Educational Colleges or Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Fixation
of Fees) Act, 2007. It is the mechanism for admission to courses in medicine, dentistry,
ayurvedic medicine, homeopathy, physiotherapy and paramedical courses like nursing
etc."
He said that if the state accepts NEET, there will be a legal conflict between the
state Act passed in 2007 and NEET. "Even if the state has to accept NEET, we need
to amend or change the Act of 2007 and get it passed in the assembly," said the
health minister.
He said, "The main point that will affect Gujarat students a lot is that the test
will be conducted in only two languages, Hindi and English. In Gujarat, 85% students
are studying in Gujarati medium and they will have to bear the brunt of it because
of this. We feel that NEET should also be conducted in regional languages for the
welfare of students. In fact, in India, competitive examinations like that for civil
services are also conducted in the regional languages apart from English and Hindi."
Vyas also said that presently 85% of the total seats in medical colleges in the
state are reserved for students of Gujarat and 15% seats for students from the rest
of the country through Pre Medical Test (PMT). It is not clear whether the 85% quota
for students of Gujarat will be retained or not after NEET is accepted. If this
reservation is not maintained, it is possible that many students of the state might
not get medical education. Further, the syllabus for NEET is not clearly stated
online, he said.
He also said that he has written a letter to the Union health minister
Ghulam Nabi Azad in this regard. Vyas said, "We have a federal system in our country
and consultation with the state is required to bring about such changes, which has
not been followed in this case. There should be a ministerial level consultation
meeting for the issue, which has not been done. So, taking all these issues into
consideration, the Gujarat government has decided not to agree to the implementation
of NEET in the state."
Courtesy: DNA India
