BENGALURU: Aspiring doctors from the state are opting for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) ranking, the results of which were announced recently, to get exemption from mandatory rural service.
As per state government rules, it is mandatory for those who get seats under the Common Entrance Test (CET) quota to do one-year rural service. But, if they select seats under the all-India quota through NEET ranking, they can get exemption as rural service is not mandatory.
Sanjay M Goudar, who has already got admission in Bangalore Medical College (BMC) through CET, told Express that he had got good ranking in NEET and plans to shift from CET to NEET quota.
When asked why, he said, “If we choose a seat under NEET, rural service will not be mandatory. That is the reason I am trying to shift.”
It is not just Sanjay, many other candidates, who got eligibility in NEET, have decided to surrender their CET seats. Another candidate, who secured a NEET rank in the double digits, said, “We have no idea about what will happen in the next four years as the issue (mandatory rural service) is in the High Court. But I have kept my fingers crossed and decided to opt for a seat under the all-India quota.”
Latesh, whose son got admission under CET quota and now has secured an NEET rank, said, “Even my son prefers a seat under the all-India quota. He thinks that if the rural service is skipped, he can prepare for post-graduation.”
In 2015, the President had approved the Mandatory Rural Service Bill drafted by the state government, and a few months after its implementation, a group of medical students approached the court and got a stay.
According to Department of Medical Education officials, the government is trying to get the stay vacated soon. Once that is done, the mandatory rural service will be implemented, said an official.