Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has expressed discontent over the Supreme Court's order to conduct National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), a single common entrance test for admission to MBBS and BDS courses, in two phases for the academic year 2016-17.
State education minister P.K. Abdu Rabb said his department was not in favour of the single common test. "However, it is up to the Medical Board to take a decision on the matter now. The education department is only responsible for conducting the exam," he said.
Meanwhile, the apex court order came as a shock to many aspiring students. They say that they cannot even think of appearing for the exam.
The apex court approved the schedule put before it by the Centre, CBSE and the Medical Medical Council of India (MCI) for treating All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) fixed for May 1 as NEET-1 and those who have not applied for AIPMT will be given opportunity to appear in NEET-II on July 24 and the combined result would be declared on August 17 so that the admission process can be completed by September 30.
The order would imply that all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under the NEET and those examinations which have already taken place or slated to be conducted separately stands scrapped.