NEET Ordinance: Karnataka CET scores valid this year

BENGALURU: In a respite for lakhs of students, scores of the Common Entrance Test ( CET) will be valid for medical and dental courses this academic year in Karnataka, according to the Central government’s ordinance deferring the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test ( NEET) by one year.

The Supreme Court-ordered NEET was to be the sole entrance test for admissions to medical and dental colleges, but the Union Cabinet on Friday cleared an ordinance to defer its implementation following opposition from several states and students across India.

NEET, however, will be implemented this year for students applying in Central government and private management institutions under the management quota.

The ordinance will need President Pranab Mukherjee’s assent to become operational.

Once assented, Karnataka’s own CET will be valid this year for seats in government-run colleges and for seats in private institutions that belong to the government. Private medical and dental colleges give 40% and 35% of seats respectively for the government to fill up through the CET.

As many as 1.78 lakh students wrote the CET earlier this month, whose results will be declared on May 28.

The remaining seats that belong to the Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Detail Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK) will be done based on NEET scores, and students will have to write the second phase of NEET on July 24 for COMEDK seats.

In a recent meeting with Union Health Minister J P Nadda, Karnataka was among some of the states that wanted CET scores to be considered for admissions this academic year. “Once the ordinance is assented by the President, admissions to the government quota medical and dental courses will be done as per CET rankings,” a senior official said.