New Delhi, May 6 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday said the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) will continue but it may permit a state-level common entrance test (CET) for admission to government medical colleges only.
However, this will be subject to the stand to be spelt out by the Centre on Monday.
Making it clear that there would be no exemption for private medical colleges from NEET, an apex court bench headed by Justice Anil R. Dave indicated that it may permit CET for government medial college admissions after Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar told the court that state education ministers were slated to meet central authorities to resolve the issue.
Adjourning the hearing till 2 p.m. on Monday when the Centre will apprise the court of the outcome of the meeting of the ministers on the issue, the court also sought a response if candidates who had appeared in the first phase of NEET on May 1 could be allowed to reappear in the NEET second phase on July 24.
Meanwhile, the Medical Council of India (MCI) told the apex court that it favoured grant of exemption from NEET in favour of state-level CET for admission to government medical colleges, and that only those candidates who had missed the May 1 NEET for whatever reasons may be allowed to appear in the second phase test on July 24.