Maha Govt Makes NEET Mandatory for Post-Graduation in Medical Colleges

The Maharashtra state Government has decided to make the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) - a must as a qualifying examination to seek admission into the postgraduate diploma medical courses conducted by the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS).

It is a 104-year-old institute located in Parel. The Government has taken the decision after a controversy broke out early this year relating to the lack of transparency in admissions as well as fees to CPS courses. Before that, Indian Medical Association (State Branch) had written to Maharashtra Government and Medical Council of India on how lakhs of rupees were being charged for the courses. There are 350 seats in the institute for which students get CPS's post-graduate diplomas every year.

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Head of Department of Medical Education & Research (DMER), Dr. Pravin Shingare said that a lot of questions were raised in the past several months about the entrance exams of CPS. People of the state wanted to know why CPS was allowed to conduct its own exams. Therefore the Medical Education minister Girish Mahajan in consultation with other ministers decided to make NEET the qualifying exam for CPS as well.

An office bearer of CPS said that the new decision was based on the Supreme Court's judgment making it mandatory for all medical institutions to use NEET as the eligibility criteria. Finally, CPS decided to follow the directives of Supreme Court.

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Dr. J Lele of Indian Medical Association said that IMA had compiled a 100-page document based on the complaints made by students and doctors about the CPS courses. There was no transparency as regards admission, fees etc. CPS courses are offered at both private and public hospitals in the state. Several public hospitals in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh also offer CPS courses.