Patna High Court has made the decision of not taking NEET mandatory for joining AYUSH courses. Petition was filed by the State Government of Bihar on March 23, 2019 against the official announcement of NEET being considered as a compulsory exam for AYUSH courses. The case was filed by Mohd. Shafiur Rahman, the Secretary of Private Unani Medical Colleges in state of Bihar.According to the Central Government, admissions to Ayurvedic, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy courses shall only be allowed through NEET (National Entrance cum Eligibility Test).
The case was supported by putting up the act that in the notice through NEET (UG), only MBBS and BDS course were mentioned. There was no specification for AYUSH courses in the notice. Other than this, the NEET-UG accepted the application forms till March 9, 2018 whereas the official announcement was made on March 19, 2018. Thus, students aspiring admission in AYUSH course will not able to apply through NEET.Thus, on hearing the valid argument put up by the petitioners, Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh said, “I am of the considered view that NEET could not be said to be compulsory for AYUSH (UG) Courses till necessary amendments are introduced in the Act and Regulations governing admission. The decision of the Union Government to provide NEET as compulsory for admission to AYUSH (UG) Courses, in my view, is unauthorized and contrary to the Regulations framed under Indian Medicine Central Act, 1970.
Letter dated 12.02.2018 of the Central Government is accordingly set aside. The press communiqué dated 23.03.2018 issued by the State Government of Bihar (Annexure-11) is consequently not sustainable and is accordingly quashed.” Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery Course is a professional course and hence the importance of entrance examination cannot be avoided. The question then rises that if neither the central government nor the state government is capable enough for conducting entrance examination then how and who would be given the responsibility of conductance of entrance exam and when would it be held? In response to this question, the court has decided that the Association of the Institutions, imparting course of Unani Medicine and Surgery Course, would be given liberty to organize combined entrance test for such courses. The decision clarifies that conductance of any such exam must have an approval of Central Government, State Government or Central Council of India Medicine.Information has been out that the exam is expected to be conducted in November 2019, the concerned authorities have become active in order to meet the deadlines. NEET is a national level medical entrance examination providing admissions for under graduate such as MBBS, BDS etc. in various government affiliated and private medical colleges of the country.Since 2018, CBSE has mandated NEET for taking admission to medical, dental and AYUSH courses of the country on the basis of NEET only.But from this year, this change has been brought up by revising Indian Medical Central Council Act, 1970 according to which NEET will not be held essential for admissions to AYUSH courses.