NEW DELHI: Despite states like Tamil Nadu demanding exemption from National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-Under Graduate) for admission to medical colleges, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Wednesday said that NEET-Under Graduate will be held in eight languages including Tamil from the academic year 2017-18.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the MoHFW said it has already held extensive consultations with state governments about their examination pattern and other aspects.
It said that it has done a rigorous and extensive consultations with health ministers and health secretaries and their representatives of 18 states and Union Territories in May this year before implementing NEET across states.
Besides Tamil other languages in which NEET (Undergraduate) test will be held are Hindi, English, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, and Telugu, the MoHFW statement said.
According to the Joint Secretary, Medical Education at MoHFW, A K Singhal this collaborative effort between central and state governments will bring in parity for the students who have taken the state board examinations.
“NEET and its implementation in regional languages is the outcome of Governments commitment to bringing about transparency in medical education and removing malpractices,” Singhal said in a statement.
After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam reiterated state’s opposition to as many as 28 aspects of the draft New Education Policy of the Centre.
Referring to former chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s repeated efforts to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET, Pannerselvam had said that the test was out of tune with the prevailing socio-economic situation and administrative requirements of its state.
According to him, this would put rural students at a disadvantage as they lacked resources to enrol in coaching institutions and access materials available to urban students.