PUDUCHERRY: The Indian Nursing Council (INC) has exempted Puducherry from the Common Entrance Test for admission of students to B.Sc nursing courses in the union territory. While it was introduced by the council this academic year (2023-24), the union territory's exemption comes following a letter from the Secretary of Health.
Responding in a communication on June 21, the INC agreed to exempt the UT of Puducherry "for admissions in B.Sc (N) for Academic Year 2023-24 as a one-time measure on basis of your request." This comes a week after a CET for colleges including government, private and deemed-to-be universities was announced after two civil society organisations, namely Puducherry UT All CENTAC Students' Parents' Association and Puducherry State Students and Parents Welfare Association, filed pleas on behalf of the students. They said that the students would face difficulties in preparing for the exam after the INC announced on May 8. Thus, admissions this year would be based on the existing pattern based on marks secured in Class 12 boards.
There are 970 seats for BSc Nursing across 13 nursing colleges in the UT. Of these, only Mother Theresa Post Graduate Research Institute of Health Sciences is a government college that comes with 80 seats. Eight are private and four others are deemed universities.
Meanwhile, those who have qualified NEET are waiting for India Gandhi Medical college and Research Institute (IGMCRI) to get recognised by the National Medical Commission after it was withdrawn in May. The college with 150 MBBS seats has already rectified the deficiencies pointed out by the NMC-led undergraduate board of Medical Education. College authorities are waiting on the same, Director of the Medical College Dr C Udhayshankar said.