Chief minister Jayalalithaa has stoutly opposed an All-India Common Entrance Test for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses in medical colleges, saying it would interfere with the state’s rights and also cause problems in implementing the reservation policy.
In a letter to PM Manmohan Singh on Monday, she said despite the state’s protest, the Centre has notified the National Board of Examination for conducting the national eligibility cum entrance test for PG courses and had gone ahead issuing a public notice for MD/MS/PG diploma courses for the 2013 session.
This was done despite the assurance from the Union health and family welfare minister that states would be consulted before evolving policy on the conduct of an All-India common entrance test.
Her government had also given its views specifically stating that this Test would “interfere with the State Government’s rights in administrating the education system and would create problems in implementing the reservation policy followed uniquely in our State”, the chief minister said.
Even after repeated requests by this public notice, it was now clear that the Centre has not considered the case and has gone ahead with the decision to implement CET, she said and added that Tamil Nadu should be exempted from the test and allowed to continue with its existing system for admission to UG/PG medical seats.
“We are surprised and distressed by this unilateral decision of the Centre in spite of the stay against CET in Madras high court, which holds good until it is vacated or till the writ petition is disposed of,” Jayalalithaa said.
She said the state government had reserved 50 per cent of its medical PG seats for doctors who completed three years of rural service with special weightage for those working in hilly and tribal areas.
“It will be legally difficult to implement these policy initiatives if a Common Entrance Test is introduced as we would have to fall in line with the regulations of the National Test, which may not have such enabling provisions,” the CM said.