Approving the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), the Supreme Court on Thursday fixed a schedule for the same. With NEET made the single mandatory common entrance test in lieu of other admission tests for MBBS, BDS and PG courses, the Supreme Court made it unambiguous that the exams scheduled to be held later or already held would stand shelved. Come May and medical aspirants will be appearing for the first phase of the exam, NEET-1, which would be held for the first time after 2013. Here is a brief timeline of how the entrance test came to be:
1. The NEET notifications were presented on December 21, 2010, after the necessity of a common entrance test was deliberated.
2. Introduced by the MCI (Medical Council of India) the exam was held for the first time on May 5, 2013, in a bid to reduce the psychological and financial burden on students, who would otherwise have to appear for several examinations across the country.
3. With close to 178 writ petitions filed over the matter, the entrance test faced dissent from institutions and the state governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka.
4. On July 18, 2013, the Supreme Court declared the test unconstitutional, on the grounds of the varied objections.
5. Further on October 23, 2013, the first review petitions were filed by the MCI before a three judge bench, after which the SC issued notices.
6. On April 11, the apex court had recalled its controversial judgement scrapping the single common entrance test for admission to MBBS, BDS and PG courses in all medical colleges, delivered by then Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir on the day of his retirement.