MBBS admissions at CMC vellore via NEET: Supreme Court reprimands medical college, reserves order

"Lawlessness cannot be created in this country. NEET is going to stay," asserted the Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra and comprising Justice Indira Banerjee while hearing a petition of CMC Vellore authorities seeking separate MBBS entrance test other than NEET.

Medical Dialogues has been extensively reporting about the case that CMC has been contending against National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), ever since it was introduced 3 years ago. Tamil Nadu Health Department accorded a special status to the Christian Medical College in the MBBS admission process.

The college, like many other private medical colleges had lost its rights to conduct admissions via its own examinations and selection process, after the introduction of NEET. The medical college was seen taking drastic measures in response

In 2017, Ida Scudder established CMC Vellore, had sent the entire country to shock after it a full stop to its admission process demanding rights to select NEET qualified students through its own counselling as against the mandated centralized counselling by the committee set up by the MCC and the state government for All India and State Quota, respectively.

Before the introduction of NEET, the admission process at the institute included a battery of steps apart from entrance exam including aptitude test, commitment to serving in rural areas and social service. However, after 2017, students are only going to be admitted based on their marks in NEET. Objecting to the fact that these important aspects of a student was not revealed in the marks secured by a medical college seat aspirant in the NEET, the institution put a full stop to its admissions for 2017-18. Out of 100 MBBS seats, only one seat had been filled by the Institute that academic session.

Read Also: CMC Vellore Suspends Admission, To Run MBBS Course For Only One Student

In 2018, during counselling, all 100 seats were declared as management quota seats.

Read Also: CMC Vellore Reinforces Urge To Follow MBBS Admission Process Of Its Own

Last year academic session saw CMC inviting applications for MBBS course again for the management quota seats. Tamil Nadu state follows NEET-based rank list and applies 69 per cent reservation. The CMC was exempted from the process last year.

Later, the medical college moved the apex court seeking separate entrance test for taking admission in medical colleges other than NEET.

As the counsel representing the Christian Medical College contended this it is an institution of excellence, Justice Mishra replied the same issue has come again for the very same college, reports IANS

"Minority rights should not be used against NEET," he said, insisting the matter has been extensively covered and there is no need for a fresh challenge.

The court observed

"… there are certain systems existing in the country, and running effectively, and against the backdrop of this set up, the court should not interfere."

Reserving the order, the top court said the matter will be decided in the light of other cases where the same college was involved. It observed that extensive hearing had already been done regarding the issue covering all the aspects.

While expressing discontent over the plea, the SC concluded,

"Lawlessness cannot be created in this country. NEET is going to stay in the country... this court will not go back"