Prof. Virender Gupta
Jammu and Kashmir Government has taken a decision to approach Supreme Court to get exemption for the State Government medical colleges from National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), a common entrance test proposed by the HRD ministry and the Supreme Court by its judgement ordered its implementation from this year. The State Government has taken the plea that Jammu and Kashmir Government under article 370 enjoys special powers and the education is a state subject under the article, though it may be noted that education, in particular, the higher education was included in the concurrent list of centre as well as Jammu and Kashmir State, irrespective of article 370. However, it must be realized that exclusion from the NEET of the state medical colleges going to harm the interests of the students from the state, desirous of adopting medical profession as their career.
In the prevailing system the students of the state are not eligible to get admission in medical colleges run by other State Governments or by the Centre Government as J&K Government does not follow the policy of reciprocity and does not allow the students from other states to seek admission in the medical colleges located in the state. Therefore, if the J&K state medical colleges are exempted from the NEET, then our students would not be eligible to get admission in the colleges owned by other states of the country. If the state adopts NEET, then our students who qualify the NEET becomes eligible to get admission in any of the medical colleges located in the rest of the country, depending on their rank in the merit list. Thus students from our state who want to adopt medical profession for their career shall have ample opportunities to get admission in the medical colleges, spread over whole of the country, and some of the bright students of the state may find their place in the renowned medical colleges of the country. In addition to this the state students may not have to appear in multiple examinations conducted by different colleges/universities or institutions to get admission for MBBS/BDS. This shall reduce their worry and financial burden that they have to bear in the present system.
The apprehension that acceptance of NEET may erode article 370 and deprive the state of its special privileges, is unfounded. Our medical colleges get their approval from the Medical Council of India, without the approval of MCI degree of the colleges is not recognized in the country as well as in other countries of the world. The Medical Council of India monitors the working of all the medical colleges of the country, including those of our state. It fixes the minimum strength of the faculty, the required infrastructure and the strength of students to be admitted in the given session. The colleges and the universities functioning in the state are also directly or indirectly academically controlled and funded by the University Grants Commission, Central Technical Board and other central agency or HRD ministry. UGC or the relevant centre agency sanctions the staff strength required to run a particular course in the state universities/colleges/institutions, provides funds for the new created positions, new departments, various academic/research projects initiated in the universities/colleges/institutions. The grades and promotion policy of the teaching staff both in the colleges and in the universities/institutions are governed by the UGC/HRD. The opening of university campuses, cluster universities or autonomous colleges/departments is being done as a part of the central policies.
The admission in NIT at Srinagar and the admissions in the MBA/Management in Tourism/Hotel Management courses in the state are being done on the basis of earning eligibility by qualifying national level examinations JEE, CAT/ MAT. These entrance examinations conducted on all India bases do not pose any problem for the special status of the state then how does the NEET, all India entrance examination conducted for admission to the MBBS/ BDS courses can challenge the special status of the state.
The state students selected in medical profession through NEET may find better opportunities to pursue the post-graduation or Ph.D in medical science in the colleges/institution outside the state. Further, they may find better job opportunities in the medical profession in rest of the country, instead looking for job in the state itself. Under the new scheme of single all India level examination to earn the eligibility to get admission in the medical colleges of the country the MCI or the HRD ministry shall have better control on the private colleges in the matter of streamlining the admission process, fixation of fee structure and in the development of required infrastructure. This is going to benefit those students who cannot afford to pay the present huge fee being charged by the private medical colleges in the country.
Therefore, it is suggested that that Jammu and Kashmir Government should give its consent for the proposed national level single test under NEET, instead of seeking exemption for the state from the Supreme Court.
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