HYDERABAD: Despite Supreme Court nod to the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) — common test for medical courses — both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have decided to go ahead with their respective Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test (EAMCET) as per schedule.
“EAMCET will be held on Friday (April 29),” AP Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas and HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao clarified separately, soon after the apex court’s verdict on Thursday. Both said the State government would challenge the judgment after going through it. A three-judge apex court bench also approved the common test schedule submitted by the Centre, CBSE and the Medical Council of India under which the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), fixed for May 1, would be considered NEET-1.
Those, who have not applied for AIPMT, will be given an opportunity to take NEET-II on July 24. The results would be declared on August 17 so that the admission process can be completed by September 30. With this, all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET and those examinations which have already taken place or slated to be conducted separately stand scrapped. However, the AP Ministers claimed ‘special protection’ for States like AP and Telangana under Article 371(D) and argued the two States do not come under NEET. Convener of AP EAMCET-2016, Ch Saibabu, too said, “The proposal of conducting NEET across the country has been there for the past two years. As there is no clarity on the syllabus and other guidelines, how can a number of aspiring medicos wait? Arrangements have been made for AP EAMCET-2016 to be conducted on Friday. We will hold the exam as per schedule.” Telangana State Council of Higher Education Chairman T Papi Reddy also said, “There are no changes in our EAMCET schedule.” At the same time, the Telangana government has decided to approach the Supreme Court requesting it to allow the State to conduct EAMCET this year.
Meanwhile, educational institutes’ joint action committee (JAC) in Telangana unanimously decided to boycott TET and EAMCET, originally scheduled for May 1 and May 2, respectively. In response, in a late night development, the Telangana government decided to postpone TS-EAMCET to a later date. “We will hold TS-EAMCET before May 20,” official sources said.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/Telangana-Defers-EAMCET-TET/2016/04/29/article3405943.ece