Experts, students welcome SC order on medical entrance

Bhubaneswar: Educationists and students of Odisha hailed the Supreme Court’s revocation of its 2013 order while allowing private colleges across the country to take in students for MBBS and BDS courses on the basis of entrance tests conducted under the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Pritish Acharya, an educationist, said, “We can get rid of entrance tests of private colleges conducted individually as per their wish. Besides, admission of students under management quota will be stopped. There will be a halt to commercialisation of the medical course.”

He added, “The SC order will help students to appear for one entrance test instead of sitting for different tests of different institutions thereby saving them unnecessary expenses. Students can prepare well as they have to appear for one test only.”

Expressing similar views, Soumya, a student, said, “With the NEET, students will get one rank and will be able to study at any institute. Therefore, it is a good decision.”

Earlier in the day, while allowing the plea for the review of its July 18, 2013, order, the apex court constitution bench — comprising Justices Anil R. Dave, A.K. Sikri, R.K. Agrawal, Adarsh Kumar Goel and R. Banumathi — recalled the order that exempted private medical colleges from admitting students in medical courses through NEET.

Recalling the order, the constitution bench also directed fresh hearing of the matter.

The review was sought by the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The order will affect over 600 private medical colleges in the country.

Notably, the apex court bench, in a majority verdict on July 18, 2013, had held that MCI has no powers to conduct NEET as it can only regulate medical education.