NEET Out, CET In: Karnataka's New Approach to Medical Admissions

Karnataka’s Education Reform: Common Entrance Test to Replace Controversial NEET

The Karnataka government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has approved a bill proposing the elimination of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in favour of a state-specific Common Entrance Test (CET), which is a significant development that represents a shift from the current landscape of national educational examinations. This decision is a reaction to the growing controversy and unhappiness surrounding NEET, especially in the wake of the recent nationwide uproar over document leak cases. The Karnataka administration, led by the Congress party, has approved a new law that aims to do away with the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in the state. The idea was presented and approved during the 22 July state Cabinet meeting. The bill opposes the NEET test and suggests that it be tied to the Common Entrance Test (CET) in Karnataka or replaced with another medical entrance exam.

The bill is presented in Karnataka Vidhan Soudha, which urges the government to permit states to proceed with medical admissions based on class 12 grades as was the case before the introduction of NEET. If the state Assembly approves the bill, Karnataka will conduct its competitive exams to select undergraduates and postgraduate courses in medical colleges. The Tamil Nadu government, led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), approved a resolution last month opposing NEET and requesting permission from the Center to handle medical admissions on behalf of state governments.  The resolution was backed by several regional groups, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

Tamil Nadu has been consistently reminding that it does not want NEET. In an interview with news agency ANI, MP K Kanimozhi stated, “Now it is proven that NEET is not a fair examination and students are losing so much because of NEET.” We favour the abolition of NEET and have passed a resolution in our Assembly, and the President has not yet signed it," Kanimozhi had stated. Over 23 lakh candidates took the National Testing Agency's (NTA) May 5 NEET-UG 2024 examination, which was held at 4,750 centres across 571 locations, including 14 international cities. Significantly, 67 candidates received a perfect score of 720 out of 720, sparking nationwide outrage. 

Editor’s Note: 

Karnataka has taken a big step toward redefining the future of medical admissions with the brave and transformational decision to replace the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) with a new state-specific Common Entrance Test (CET). The state legislature has backed this move and represents a significant departure from the national test system, which has lately been clouded by disputes and accusations of misconduct. By taking this step Karnataka hopes to improve fairness, lessen student stress, and rebuild trust in the examination process by implementing a CET that is customised to the state's educational standards and requirements. This might potentially create a new example for other states facing comparable challenges. 

Skoobuzz hopes that the move taken by the Karnataka government will pave the way for other states to make firm decisions regarding NEET exams which is crucial for the future of medical education in India.