Hyderabad: Managements of private medical colleges in Telangana and AP on Friday reacted cautiously to the Supreme Court’s order that no private institution should conduct separate entrance tests for medical admissions.
They said their future course of action would depend on the final judgement and added that no decision had been taken to cancel CETs to fill management quota seats.
The entrance tests are slated for May 20 in TS and May 13 in AP. Telangana Private Medical and Dental Colleges Association president C. Lakshmi Narasimha Rao said: “We are not certain as to which states will this be applicable. Private medical colleges in some states like Maharashtra and Karnataka have completed their CETs. Even tests for medical admissions in deemed institutions like Manipal and JIPMER are over. We are waiting for more clarity.”
Nearly 6,600 registrations have been received for CET to medical and dental admissions in 13 private colleges in TS. The colleges offer 550 medical and 350 dental seats.
The AP Private Medical and Dental Colleges Association stated that it was going ahead with the entrance test on May 13. “We are aware of the case in the SC and will act according to the final judgement,” said association secretary Bhaskar Rao.
He added that the private colleges had received nearly 6,700 registrations under management quota in 13 medical and 10 dental colleges in AP offering about 700 and 400 seats respectively. Apart from centres in AP and TS, the test will be held in major cities nationwide, he said.
Higher education officials said that it was too early to take a call on private entrance tests since the Supreme Court was yet to pronounce its final judgement.
“In case the Supreme Court does not agree to entrance tests by private medical colleges, the seats are likely to be filled based on Eamcet ranks,” an official said.
MCI backs local Cets for this year
Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the CBSE, told the Supreme Court that if all the students are given a second chance to take the July 24 Neet Phase-II, around 9.50 lakh would take the test. But if only 40,000 students who did not write Neet-1 were allowed, around 2.50 lakh students could appear for Neet-2. Considering the logistics, only 40,000 students should be given a second chance, she said.
Senior counsel Vikas Singh, appearing for Medical Council of India in a written note said for this year as a special case the states that have their own competitive exams be permitted to take admission on that basis. Since the law passed by the Tamil Nadu government, abolishing the entrance test, had rece-ived Presidential assent in 2007, the MCI regualtion on Neet would not overide this legislation.
The MCI said no examination by any authority would entitle any student to get admission into any medical college except the exam conducted by AIIMS and PGIMR and the states that have their own competitive exams only for this year. Banks will consider financing poor students without any collateral for payment of their fees in private colleges.
