A whole new year for NEET

As the State and central governments lock horns over the continuation of NEET, a look at the admission process to medical and dental colleges this year and the implementation of the 7.5 % reservation for Government school students, shows that both students and administrators seem to have learnt from the exercise over the past few years.

When candidates admitted to medical and dental colleges look back on their journey several decades hence they would recall the academic year 2021-2022 as an milestone year.

It appeared as if candidates would face another year of uncertainty about the conduct of the qualifying exam the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). The exam was delayed thanks to COVID-19 pandemic by several months.

But there was much anticipation as the government was making all out efforts to increase intake by 1,500 seats. The newly elected State government carried forward the 7.5% preferential reservation for government school students. The continuance of the scheme encouraged more candidates from government schools to take the exam.