NEET now mandatory in Kerala for admission to private medical colleges

On Tuesday, the Kerala government made NEET (National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test) compulsory for admissions to the private medical colleges in the state.

Considering the Supreme Court’s order to make NEET rank mandatory for admissions to all the medical colleges and regulate them for the private colleges of the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that an ordinance to this effect was issued.

The main objective of the Kerala Medical Education (Regulation and Control of Admission to Private Medical Institutions) Ordinance 2017 is to regulate admissions and fees structure in the private medical colleges and to ensure reservations to the backward and the SC/ST communities.

With this, the admissions to the government and the private medical colleges in Kerala will be totally merit-based and on the basis of the ranking in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. The admissions for MBBS and BDS courses would be carried out from the NEET list, while for other medical and para-medical courses, the government entrance test would be the criteria for admissions.

Yesterday, a special cabinet meeting was held which gave the nod to promulgate the ordinance, which also received the governor’s approval. An Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee with a retired supreme court or a high court judge as its chairperson will be constituted for admissions to medical and dental colleges.

A press release said, ”The committee will have the representatives from the government as well as the Medical Council of India. It would decide the fees as per the apex court directions.”

The Board will conduct the entrance examination on May 7. NEET is held by the CBSE for admission to MBBS/BDS courses in Medical Council of India-/Dental Council of India-approved medical/dental colleges.