SC order on common medical entrance test will raise hopes of many

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It is for these reasons that in 2013 the government of India tried to hold the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to both undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses. The legal validity of that notification was questioned by the Supreme Court which ruled that the Medical Council of India is not empowered to hold such a test — that order has now been quashed paving the way for a common test once more. However, even before the go-ahead came from the court — the apex court has ruled that a common test may be conducted this year though the health ministry and the MCI say it is a bit late in the day to start that process as some entrance tests have already happened — there was movement on this front.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda has already approved the Medical Council of India’s recommendation for an amendment to the Indian Medical Council (IMC) Act that will empower it to hold a nationwide common medical entrance test. The amendment has been cleared by the law ministry and response of the HRD ministry is now awaited. That process though may be rendered infructuous if the apex court revises its own earlier order now that the government’s review petition has been admitted.

The NEET PG was originally held in November-December 2012 and NEET UG in May 2013. About 80 petitions were filed by minority institutes, private colleges and some state governments, which went to the Supreme Court.

Quashing the NEET in July 2013, a bench of then Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justices Vikramjit Sen and Anil Dave ruled: “The role assigned to the MCI under Sections 10A and 19A (1) of the 1956 Act vindicates such a conclusion. As an offshoot, we have no hesitation in holding that the Medical Council of India is not empowered to actually conduct the NEET.”

Monday’s quashing of that order has raised the hopes of thousands of would be doctors across the country.