The Karnataka Cabinet on Monday approved a resolution to scrap the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in the state, replacing it with a new entrance exam for undergraduate and postgraduate medical students.
In a late-night session on Monday, the Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, also approved two additional resolutions: one concerning the delimitation of state legislative assemblies and Lok Sabha constituencies, and another opposing the concept of ‘One Nation, One Election’.
These resolutions are expected to be presented during the current legislative session, possibly as early as Tuesday, sources told news agency PTI.
This development comes amid growing concerns surrounding NEET. Last week, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar urged the central government to scrap NEET and allow states to conduct their own entrance examinations.
“The irregularities in the NEET exam are serious. It is a question of the future of lakhs of students. The Centre must scrap NEET and allow states to conduct their own entrance tests. Students from across the country can participate in the tests conducted by states,” Shivakumar stated.
He further criticised the impact on Karnataka students, stating, “Injustice is being meted out to the students from Karnataka. Karnataka has built colleges, but it is benefitting students from North India and depriving its own students. We have to fight unitedly against this. The Centre must conduct an inquiry into the NEET exam irregularities also.”
Previously, in 2021, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu had passed legislation seeking exemption from NEET, with Chief Minister MK Stalin calling the exam as discriminatory and disadvantageous to rural aspirants aspiring to pursue medical careers. A similar attempt was made by the AIADMK government under Edappadi K Palaniswami, but the bill failed to receive presidential approval in 2017.
Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated investigations into multiple alleged irregularities and instances of paper leaks in the NEET-UG 2024 exams, lodging six FIRs so far.
The NEET-UG, conducted by the National Testing Agency NTA), serves as the gateway for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in both government and private institutions.
(With inputs from PTI)
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