Karnataka Proposes CET Bill to Replace NEET Amid Controversy

The Karnataka government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has approved a bill proposing the replacement of NEET with a Common Entrance Test (CET) for medical admissions in the state. This move follows nationwide uproar over NEET paper leaks.

Bill Approval and Provisions

The Congress-led Karnataka government gave its assent to the bill during a state Cabinet meeting on Monday. The bill, which will be tabled in the Karnataka Vidhan Soudha, proposes either replacing NEET with another medical entrance exam or tying it to the CET in Karnataka.

The bill urges the government to allow states to conduct medical admissions based on Class 12 marks, a system that was in place before NEET’s implementation. If passed, Karnataka will conduct its own competitive exams for undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses.

Background and Context

This development comes amid ongoing national debates and controversies surrounding the NEET-UG 2024 exams, which were marred by irregularities and paper leaks. Over 23 lakh candidates appeared for the NEET-UG 2024 Examination, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 5.

Regional Reactions and Support

The proposal has garnered support from several regional parties. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Tamil Nadu government recently passed a resolution against NEET, calling on the Centre to allow state governments to handle medical admissions.

“Tamil Nadu has been consistently saying that we do not want NEET. Now it is proved that NEET is not a fair examination, and students are losing so much because of NEET,” said MP K Kanimozhi. Despite the resolution, it is still pending the President’s signature.

National Response

The controversy around NEET has led to widespread protests across the country. In the latest NEET-UG exam, 67 candidates achieved a perfect score of 720 out of 720, further fueling debates on the fairness and efficacy of the exam.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

See Full Bio