SC says NEET voluntary for this year, final order in July

The Supreme Court on Monday passed an interim order stating that the common medical entrance test NEET will be voluntary for this academic year and will not be binding. This effectively means that colleges will have to admit candidates on the basis of NEET only if they have to. [caption id=“attachment_777219” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Supreme Court of India.[/caption] It will make a final decision with regard to the examination in the first week of July. The apex court has also directed that all medical exam results which were stayed by its 13 December 2012 order be published now and admissions can be made based on these results. The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justices Vikramajit Sen and Anil Dave have heard arguments from various parties over four months and had reserved its judgement. The standoff began when the Medical Council of India (MCI) proposed a common entrance test for all medical courses, but it was opposed by private colleges who moved the apex court. States and medical colleges had also approached high courts in states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to seek a stay on the NEET determining admission to courses. The MCI claims that the single entrance exam would avoid multiple entrance tests and reduce irregularities in admissions to medical courses like payment of crores in order to secure a seat for post graduate courses.