Kiran joins Jaya in opposing NEET-13

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today joined his Tamil Nadu counterpart in opposing the All-India Common Entrance Test for admission to Under Graduates and Post Graduates courses in medical colleges.

The Centre is proposing to introduce from next year a combined national entrance test for admission to medical courses across the country. Kiran Kumar Reddy today wrote to the Centre that the State is not fully prepared to take the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) from next year. Instead, he appealed to the Manmohan Singh Government to introduce the test in the State next year. 

However, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, in a strongly worded letter said that the move to introduce national entrance test would only interfere with the State's rights and create problems in implementing the reservation policy. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said that despite the State's protest, the Centre has notified the National Board of Examination for conducting the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test for PG courses and had gone ahead issuing a public notice for MD/MS/PG diploma courses for the 2013 session.

 She recalled that the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare had assured states that they would be consulted and their views considered before evolving any policy with regard to conduct of an All-India Common Entrance Test.

The Tamil Nadu Government had also given its views specifically stating that the test would interfere with the State Government's rights in administrating the education system and would create problems in implementing the reservation policy followed uniquely in our State, she said.

Even after repeated requests by this public notice, it was now clear that the Centre has not considered the case and has gone ahead with the decision to implement the Common Entrance Test, she said and wanted the Centre to exempt Tamil Nadu from the test and allowed to continue with its existing system.

Prasad@sakshipost