16, Jan 2012

Students, parents and tuition centers are worried as the CET or NEET question remains unanswered

It is almost mid-January, but the confusion surrounding medical admissions this year has not cleared. Although private colleges have issued a formal schedule for the entrance test to be conducted by the COMED-K (Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental colleges of Karnataka), the State Government is yet to notify its schedule. However, news reports have been repeatedly pointing to the possibility of a common centralized entrance (termed the National Eligibility Entrance Test in the Medical Council of India notification).

In December, although the State Government assured that the new proposal will not be executed, when the Union Government appealed to the Supreme Court asking for an extra year to implement the court order to conduct a centralized entrance for medical exams, the apex court expressed its displeasure.

The Court has thus refused to pass an order extending the time for conducting the exam. Although the Central Government has not clearly stated what course of action it will pursue following the Court order, in its plea it spoke of the State Governments’ reluctance to explain their inability to conduct the common exam. Karnataka and other States have sought more time to shift from a State entrance to a centralized one.

Disparity

While some States oppose the exam citing disparity in syllabus, others have vaguely argued over how it puts students at a disadvantage. The MCI has, however, repeatedly pointed out that if colleges implement the NCERT syllabus, it should not be a problem as every State will have individual State lists. However, in Karnataka, the pre-university college syllabus does not follow the NCERT syllabus, and academics claim that the disparity between the recommended syllabus and the one colleges follow is as high as 40 percent. The State has asked for a year’s time to “upgrade” its syllabus.

All this vacillation over the common entrance has caused much confusion and anxiety among students and parents alike. The coaching centers began with lessons based on the CBSE syllabus in the firm belief that the central entrance test would be conducted; however, they soon began hinting at the possibility of the CET being held. Although the subjects are the same, no matter who conducts the exam, the treatment of questions (particularly in Physics and Chemistry) is different. This has led to confusion among the candidates. Preparing for exams is normally stressful and such uncertainties about the exam make an already tense situation even more so.

Coaching centers too have been finding the uncertainty difficult. They stand to lose if one medical entrance exam replaces the many that students study for. If there is a central entrance exam then a student would register to prepare for just one.

Basically it is the State syllabus students who need special coaching to gear up for a centralized examination. Some coaching centers are also thinking of providing crash courses or refresher courses in case the NEET is held this year. But all this should have been sorted out well in advance.