New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the minority medical colleges to grant admission to students on the basis of their NEET scores.
The three-judge bench — comprising justices Arun Mishra, Vineet Saran and MR Shah — said: “The rights available under Article 30 (of the Constitution which secures the right of religious and linguistic minorities to run educational institutions) are not violated by provisions carved out in Section 10D of the MCI Act (Medical Council of India Act) and the Dentists Act and Regulations framed by MCI/DCI.”
Vellore’s Christian Medical College had challenged the NEET route for admissions, stating that it violated the institution’s minority rights enshrined under Article 30.
The institute used to conduct its own entrance exam and used to give admission to candidates who were willing to work in the rural areas of the country.
However, the three-judge bench stated that NEET was introduced for better administration following instances of maladministration by private colleges.
“The regulatory measures are intended for the proper functioning of institutions and to ensure that the standard of education is maintained and does not fall low under the guise of an exclusive right of management to the extent of maladministration,” said the judges.
In its verdict, the SC also dismissed challenges to NEET by private medical colleges, deemed universities, and state governments who wanted to conduct their own entrance tests for MBBS and BDS courses.
Around 15.9 lakh students will be appearing for NEET this year.
