NEET: Centre files counter in Madras HC, seeks vacation of interim stay

MADURAI: The central and state governments have filed counter affidavits in the Madurai bench of the Madras high court in a case that sought to hold the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admissions afresh by cancelling the NEET that was held on May 7.
A batch of two cases were filed against the NEET. On May 24, the court stayed all proceedings relating to NEET till June 7 and sought counters from the governments.
On Tuesday, CBSE secretary Mahesh D Dharmadhikarai filed a counter seeking to vacate the stay and to dismiss the cases.
He said if the stay was not vacated, the future of 11.38 lakh candidates who appeared for the NEET would be jeopardized. He said it would create unrest among the stakeholders.
The procedures to complete the admission as directed by the Supreme Court could not be complied with and the CBSE's would face contempt of court, the counter said.
Tamil Nadu health secretary J Radhakrishnan filed a counter against the NEET. He said that the state government had passed the Tamil Nadu Admission to MBBS and BDS Courses Bill, 2017 and the Tamil Nadu Admission to Post Graduate Courses in Medical and Dentistry Bill, 2017 and had been urging the central government to take steps to get the presidential assent to the Bills. The state should be permitted to carry out medical and dental admissions by following its own procedure, it said.