NEET 2018 headed towards legal trouble over eligibility of Open School Students? All down to MoHFW and MCI
Updated: Feb 22, 2018 | 11:11 IST | Kanika Khurana
NEET 2018 & Open School Students' eligibility, legal battle inevitable? | Photo Credit: Representative Image
New Delhi: For NEET aspirants, legal cases are not a new occurrence. Ever since the inception and implementation of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET, legal cases have come in tow of the announcements. The trend seems to continue with NEET 2018. As per latest reports, parents of some of the open school students, who have been barred to appear in NEET 2018 by a change in guidelines of Medical Council of India, are planning to move the Supreme Court for intervention. However, other hopefuls believe that it may not amount to legal recourse as Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, MoHFW has reportedly asked MCI to reconsider the rule and its implementation for this year's aspirants. MCI, reportedly, is planning to discuss the possibilities and reconsider.
The Ministry of Health had written to MCI to reconsider the decision following the notice released by MCI barring open school students. The letter contends the eligibility of open school students citing that CBSE – the board that also organizes NEET examinations, has given recognition to the open school board and considered it equivalent to other board. Every year, thousands of candidates from open schooling boards from the country apply for the entrance examination. As many as 7,000 students had applied for the NEET 2017 last year from NIOS. Related News | NEET 2018 Eligibility revised, upper age limit of 25 yrs, open school students not allowed, check details here
MCI, on the other hand, maintains its decision. According to the council, the students in open schooling system do not have a similar level of subject knowledge as they do not attend classroom coaching. As such, they have been barred from appearing. As reported by TOI, Dr C V Bhirmanandham, Vice President, MCI has responded to the letter from the Health Ministry and confirmed that barring open school students was a collective decision. However, 'they would further discuss the issue before coming to a conclusion.'
Parents in the interim are planning to move the apex court for intervention in the matter. As per reports of various parents, the sudden changes in the eligibility (the decision was taken in November last and implemented this year) have left the students disheartened. Students have been preparing for the entire year. A legal recourse could mean another long drawn wait. It can be safely said that all the NEET aspirants would be hoping it does not come to that. As to MCI's decision and the possibility of removing the bar on open school students, only time will tell. At present, the NEET 2018 online application window closes on March 9, 2018. Also Read | NEET 2018 now mandatory to pursue medicine abroad, quick look at all the changes implemented this year in NEET
NEET or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test was first introduced in 2013 but was quickly contested against by states. After a long drawn battle, the Supreme Court intervened and mandated the implementation of the examination as the national level entrance test for all medical and dental undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the country. The court order's delay posed a problem and a NEET 2 was conducted in 2016 for all the students who might have missed the opportunity the first time.
The legal battles pertaining to NEET did not end. The year 2017 was marred by numerous controversies and legal battles that forced CBSE to take back its diktat on the upper age limit of 25 years. The results for NEET 2017 were also delayed due to concerns over the regional and English language paper discrepancies which then continued late into September with counselling woes. This year, however, it seemed that CBSE has finally overcome the problem when nothing blew open immediately after NEET 2018 application form. But perhaps, its a calm before the storm and another legal battle is brewing just beneath the surface.
Updated: Feb 22, 2018 | 11:11 IST | Kanika Khurana
NEET 2018 & Open School Students' eligibility, legal battle inevitable? | Photo Credit: Representative Image
New Delhi: For NEET aspirants, legal cases are not a new occurrence. Ever since the inception and implementation of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET, legal cases have come in tow of the announcements. The trend seems to continue with NEET 2018. As per latest reports, parents of some of the open school students, who have been barred to appear in NEET 2018 by a change in guidelines of Medical Council of India, are planning to move the Supreme Court for intervention. However, other hopefuls believe that it may not amount to legal recourse as Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, MoHFW has reportedly asked MCI to reconsider the rule and its implementation for this year's aspirants. MCI, reportedly, is planning to discuss the possibilities and reconsider.
The Ministry of Health had written to MCI to reconsider the decision following the notice released by MCI barring open school students. The letter contends the eligibility of open school students citing that CBSE – the board that also organizes NEET examinations, has given recognition to the open school board and considered it equivalent to other board. Every year, thousands of candidates from open schooling boards from the country apply for the entrance examination. As many as 7,000 students had applied for the NEET 2017 last year from NIOS. Related News | NEET 2018 Eligibility revised, upper age limit of 25 yrs, open school students not allowed, check details here
MCI, on the other hand, maintains its decision. According to the council, the students in open schooling system do not have a similar level of subject knowledge as they do not attend classroom coaching. As such, they have been barred from appearing. As reported by TOI, Dr C V Bhirmanandham, Vice President, MCI has responded to the letter from the Health Ministry and confirmed that barring open school students was a collective decision. However, 'they would further discuss the issue before coming to a conclusion.'
Parents in the interim are planning to move the apex court for intervention in the matter. As per reports of various parents, the sudden changes in the eligibility (the decision was taken in November last and implemented this year) have left the students disheartened. Students have been preparing for the entire year. A legal recourse could mean another long drawn wait. It can be safely said that all the NEET aspirants would be hoping it does not come to that. As to MCI's decision and the possibility of removing the bar on open school students, only time will tell. At present, the NEET 2018 online application window closes on March 9, 2018. Also Read | NEET 2018 now mandatory to pursue medicine abroad, quick look at all the changes implemented this year in NEET
NEET or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test was first introduced in 2013 but was quickly contested against by states. After a long drawn battle, the Supreme Court intervened and mandated the implementation of the examination as the national level entrance test for all medical and dental undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the country. The court order's delay posed a problem and a NEET 2 was conducted in 2016 for all the students who might have missed the opportunity the first time.
The legal battles pertaining to NEET did not end. The year 2017 was marred by numerous controversies and legal battles that forced CBSE to take back its diktat on the upper age limit of 25 years. The results for NEET 2017 were also delayed due to concerns over the regional and English language paper discrepancies which then continued late into September with counselling woes. This year, however, it seemed that CBSE has finally overcome the problem when nothing blew open immediately after NEET 2018 application form. But perhaps, its a calm before the storm and another legal battle is brewing just beneath the surface.
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