Single Cet from 2011-12

The Supreme Court on Monday gave an important clarification that will enable Medical Council of India (MCI) to go ahead with its plan to hold a single common entrance test (CET) for MBBS and post-graduation seats in all government and private medical colleges from next year, that is the 2011-12 academic session.


The bench clarified that "pendency of petitions will not stand in the way of MCI notifying the new regulations (proposing single CET) and others from challenging the notification (subsequently)".

This clarification will allow MCI to notify its regulations envisaging single CET for MBBS and PG courses in all medical colleges from 2011.

Once MCI issues the notification, there will be a single entrance examination each for MBBS and MD courses offered by all 271 medical colleges, 138 run by governments and 133 under private management. These colleges offer over 31,000 seats for MBBS courses and another 11,000 seats for PG degrees.

Addressing the concern of state governments afraid of losing their quota in state medical colleges, MCI clarified that state quota would remain intact as `National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test' (NEET) would draw up a national merit list as well as state-wise ranking list for general category, SC, ST and OBC as well as physically challenged persons.

The MCI proposal had said, "In order to be eligible for admissions to MBBS courses for a particular academic year, it shall be necessary for a candidate to obtain minimum 50% marks in each paper of NEET held for the said academic year. However, in respect of candidates belonging to SC, ST and OBC, the minimum percentage of marks shall be 40% in each paper and for candidates with locomotory disability of lower limbs, it would be 45% in each paper."

(Source)