Hyderabad: Both the TS and AP governments are likely to file review petitions in the Supreme Court seeking exemption from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medical and dental colleges for this year.
Telangana health minister C. Laxma Reddy said the state government would approach the apex court in view of the hardships medical and dental college aspirants would face if the central test was implemented from this year.
“We will seek permission from the Supreme Court to allow us go ahead with Eamcet this year,” he said, adding that the state government would not mind reaching out to its Andhra Pradesh counterpart for clarity on the Presidential Order under Article 371D of the Constitution that bars students of other states from admission into medical and dental colleges in the two states. AP officials echoed the same sentiments.
AP State Council for Higher Education chairman Prof. L. Venugopal Reddy said that the AP government was on the job and a decision on review petition would be taken soon.
Telangana State Council for Higher Education chairman Prof. N. Papi Reddy said that provisions of Article 371D as well the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, with regard to admissions for students belonging to the students of both states for ten years, have to be addressed first.
“Each state needs to submit 15 per cent quota to the Central pool after joining Neet. The case is different for Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh. The 15 per cent quota is to be filled by students from other states, as per the Presi-dential Order. Students from other states could join Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh medical colleges only if an amendment is made to this order,” Mr Papi Reddy said. Sources said the two state governments were waiting for copies of the Supreme Court before filing their petitions.
Private medical colleges to hold tests
The private medical and dental colleges in Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh will go ahead with their respective entrance tests to fill the management category seats despite the Supreme Court on Thursday mandating the National Eligibility Entrance Test for admissions to all medical and dental colleges nationwide.
While the test is scheduled to be held on May 13 in Andhra Pradesh, it will be held on May 20 in Telangana. Telangana Private Medical and Dental Colle-ges Association president C. Lakshmi Nara-simha Rao said that members will go ahead and conduct the test this year.
“Thirty-five per cent of management quota seats in each of the private college will be filled based on the rank achieved in this separate test,” he said.
“If Neet comes into effect, there will be no other medical test in the country and a separate test conducted by the private colleges in Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh will be no exception to that rule,” Mr Narasimha Rao said.
