APEX COURT ENSURES INCLUSION OF URDU
“Until now there was no word from the CBSE regarding NEET dates or the registration process, while the state CET cell had announced their exam date. Parents were frantic about a clash of the exam dates, as many medical aspirants also answer the CET as a backup,” said Anu Parikh, an aspirant’s parent.
While an official statement on the exam and registration process is yet to be released by CBSE, the board has confirmed the date of examination. “The registration process will begin soon,” said an official from CBSE.
A statement released on the CBSE website notes that the syllabus for NEET 2018 will remain the same as last year. “There were some rumours about the possible inclusion of the state board syllabi in the NEET syllabus, but we are not making any such changes,” said the official.
Every year, lakhs of students from the state apply for NEET as well as the state-conducted CET to try their luck in medical and engineering courses. Officials from DTE said the demand for engineering CET is on the rise, as it includes only the Maharashtra state board syllabus, unlike national-level entrance exams that are based on the NCERT syllabus. “Students were worried
they might have to choose between the two the exams this year, but CBSE’s announcement has brought relief,” said Madhuri Mhatre, another parent.
NEET was introduced in May 2014 as an all-India test, but was scrapped in September the same year after receiving flak from students. States then began conducting their own CETs, based on the local school board syllabus. In April 2016, the Supreme Court of India reintroduced NEET, scrapping all state CETs to make NEET the single window entrance exam for admissions to all medical and dental institutes in the country.