The Centre is mulling bringing an Ordinance to defer by one year the implementation of the Supreme Court-ordered NEET as the sole entrance test for admissions to medical and dental colleges.
Sources in the government said on Tuesday that the Ordinance could be brought to "postpone the effect of the Supreme Court judgement by 12 months".
Though no final decision has been taken yet, one view within the government is to bring the Ordinance to delay the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict that disallowed states to conduct their own entrance exams and ordered that only the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) be the basis for admissions.
But so far, there is no clarity on whether an Ordinance only will suffice or a new law will be required.
So far, the issue has not been listed for discussions at the meeting of the Union Cabinet slated for tomorrow morning.
Major political parties and several states have favoured deferring implementation of the apex court verdict by one year.
The Centre had yesterday kicked off consultations on the issue, asserting the matter was essentially in "executive domain".
Several state governments wanted their exams to be the basis for admission for their 85 per cent quota seats for this year too.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda, however, had made it clear that private medical colleges and deemed universities cannot have their entrance exams and will have to take students only through the NEET route.
The all party meeting and the consultations with state health ministers came amid reports that the Centre may bring an ordinance to bypass the apex court's ruling making NEET mandatory from this year.
The Health Minister has said that the future course of action will be formulated "soon" as the Centre was committed to bringing in transparency in medical education system and remove alleged malpractices.
The Supreme Court had ruled that starting this academic session, students would have to appear in NEET to seek admission to medical or dental colleges in the country.
The apex court order had implied that all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET and those examinations which had already taken place or were slated to be conducted separately stand scrapped.
The states flagged various issues in the health ministers conference yesterday including problems related to language and syllabus.
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