Special test for NRIs who missed NEET
Saturday, 27/07/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130727/punjab.htm#7
Patiala : The Punjab Government has decided to hold a special admission test for the NRI candidates who had failed to appear in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) earlier, but were willing to join the state medical colleges.
The first preference, both in graduation and post-graduate courses, however, would be given to those NRI students who had appeared for the NEET. The test would be conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot. In Punjab, around 375 (15 per cent quota) of the total 2,500 MBBS and BDS seats are reserved for NRI students.
Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, said as not many NRIs had appeared for the entrance earlier, a large number of seats would remain vacant if the NEET was a criterion for filling the medical and dental seats. Earlier, the NRI students had the privilege of admission to the 15 per cent seats reserved for them without appearing in any entrance test.
After the Central Board of Secondary Education conducted the first-ever national-level medical NEET — the results were declared in June — the Punjab Government issued a notification, thereby making the NEET the basis for admissions to medical colleges in the state. As such, the NRI students who did not take the test were declared ineligible.
The state government’s decision was criticised by the NRIs. Seeking its immediate rollback, the affected students approached the NRI Sabha, which got in touch with Punjab Medical Education and Research Minister Chunni Lal Bhagat and NRI Affairs Minister Bikram Singh Majithia.
Admission scramble
- Punjab has 15 per cent quota in its medical colleges for NRI students
- Of the 2,500 MBBS and BDS seats, around 375 are reserved under the category
- As these admissions are being held on the basis on the NEET, the NRI students who didn’t appear in the test have been rendered ineligible
- Not holding the special test would mean keeping a number of seats under the NRI category vacant
