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A group of pre-university students from Karnataka has approached the Supreme Court seeking direction to quash the notification issued by the Medical Council of India (MCI) for conducting National Eligibility-cum-Entrance test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate courses.

They are aggrieved over the fact that they had to study a different syllabus prescribed by the CBSE, the body entrusted with the task of conducting one examination across the country for admission to MBBS and BDS courses as well.

In a writ petition filed through advocate G S Kannur, the students urged the court to quash the notification issued by the MCI on February 15, last year, and restrain the CBSE from conducting the NEET for admission to first year MBBS for the academic year 2013-2014 in Karnataka as it is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.

They wanted direction by the court to the state government to continue implementing the Common Entrance Test for admission to MBBS course in medical colleges run by the government as well as the government-aided Colleges.

“The notification runs in contradiction to the provisions of the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and fixation of Fee, Special Provision) Act, 2011, which provides for regulation of admission and seat matrix of medical colleges in Karnataka,” the petition said.

Mother tongue suffers

“As the national entrance examination test is to be conducted in English and Hindi only, the students who have studied in Kannada language or in their mother tongue will suffer hardship causing great disadvantage,” the petition, filed by Rakshith Uthappa, Ankitha C, Sumana (all 17-year-old) and others, added.

The students also claimed that those who have studied the syllabus prescribed by the state board would have to study about 30 per cent more in order to cover the course recommended by the CBSE.

They further contended that as the state government decided to introduce the syllabus prescribed by the CBSE from the academic year 2012-13, the students would not be prejudiced only if the NEET examination is to be held during 2014-15 as they would have two academic years to prepare.

“The total non application of mind by the state government in taking a decision to implement NEET from the academic year 2013-14 is evident inasmuch as the state wants to cover about 30 per cent additional syllabus prescribed by the CBSE by telecasting programmes through Doordharshan Chandana Channel from 9.15 pm to 10 pm every day till May 2013.”

“The students studying the syllabus prescribed by the state may not be able to watch the TV programmes due to electricity problems, lack of televisions in the cities and more so in the villages. The internet connections may not be available in some homes in the cities and the students in rural areas face far greater hardship,” the petition claimed. 

The NEET examination has been proposed for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses in all medical and dental colleges.