Climate activist Greta Thunberg to Twitter to join the movement to "postpone JEE NEET" saying conducting exams during coronavirus pandemic and extreme floods were "deeply unfair" on students.

She said: "It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the Covid-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID".&nbsp;

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It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the Covid-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID</a>
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1298153192526696449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Greta Thunberg is a global icon and has been vocal against climate change. She followed by 4.1 million users on Twitter.&nbsp;

Hashtags like 'PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID' have been trending on Twitter for quite some&nbsp;time.&nbsp;

Her tweet received a mixed reaction by the netizens.

The JEE, NEET exams were first cancelled in May when the nationwide lockdown was in force and the total coronavirus cases were fewer.

India has been recording the world's highest daily spike in coronavirus figures since August 8. India in the last 24 hours reported 60,975 COVID-19 cases, taking its overall coronavirus tally 31,67,324, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

The total cases include 7,04,348 active cases and 24,04,585 patients cured/discharged/migrated.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg to Twitter to join the movement to "postpone JEE NEET" saying conducting exams during coronavirus pandemic and extreme floods were "deeply unfair" on students.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg to Twitter to join the movement to "postpone JEE NEET" saying conducting exams during coronavirus pandemic and extreme floods were "deeply unfair" on students. She said: "It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the Covid-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID". It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the Covid-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) August 25, 2020 × Greta Thunberg is a global icon and has been vocal against climate change. She followed by 4.1 million users on Twitter. Hashtags like 'PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID' have been trending on Twitter for quite some time. Her tweet received a mixed reaction by the netizens. The JEE, NEET exams were first cancelled in May when the nationwide lockdown was in force and the total coronavirus cases were fewer. India has been recording the world's highest daily spike in coronavirus figures since August 8. India in the last 24 hours reported 60,975 COVID-19 cases, taking its overall coronavirus tally 31,67,324, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday. The total cases include 7,04,348 active cases and 24,04,585 patients cured/discharged/migrated.

'Deeply unfair': Greta Thunberg tweets in favour of postponing JEE, NEET

Students from across the country have demanded that CBSE compartment exams be cancelled and entrance exams such as UGC-NET, CLAT, NEET and JEE be postponed in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases.

Over 4,200 students participated in a day-long hunger strike demanding the cancellation and postponement of exams.

Using the hashtag SATYAGRAHagainstExamInCovid, students took to Twitter to urge the government to heed to their demands.

Manoj S, a JEE aspirant from Karnataka, said, "We have to report to the JEE exam centre at 7 am. My centre is almost 150 kilometres away and there are no train or bus services available currently.

"Many of my friends have said that their centres are 200 to 250 kilometres away. How are we supposed to travel? How will we write exams wearing masks for seven to eight hours?" He urged the government to postpone the exams till normalcy is restored.

Anisha, hailing from Odisha, said with all the hotels and guest houses closed, where would they stay in case they have to travel for exams.

"I am from Balasore and my NEET exam centre is in Bhubaneswar. I will have to travel for five hours to take my exam. There are no hotels or guesthouses that are open. Where will we stay?" she said.

Siddh Dutt, who will be appearing for CBSE compartment exam, said, "I am an asthma patient. I am scared of what may happen to me if I catch COVID-19."

Madhurima, who said she has to take four different entrance exams, wants authorities to listen to her appeal -- "Please produce a vaccine so that we can take exams.

"I am a JEE, IISER, DUET aspirant and also have to take another entrance exam," she said.

Md Danish Khan from Bhagalpur in Bihar said he has been "allotted an exam centre in Patna, which is a COVID-19 hotspot".

"I do not want to risk the lives of my relatives by staying at their place when I go to take the exam. I also stay in a joint family and if I contract the virus, it will create a chain of infection," he said.

A Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) aspirant from Kolkata, who requested anonymity, said she fears for her parents' safety during this time.

"My father is a diabetic and my mother just had an operation for a tumour. Even if they go to drop me to the exam centre using public transport, I will be putting them at risk. The government is not ready to listen to us.

"We will have to sit and write the exams wearing masks, gloves and headgear under hot weather conditions," she said.

Other students also shared similar woes and urged the government to postpone entrance exams and declare the academic year as a "zero year".

The Left-backed All India Students' Association lent solidarity to the demands of the students.

Top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday, requested the government to defer the all-India medical and engineering entrance examinations taking into consideration the concerns raised by a section of students and parents amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A day ago, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had appealed to the central government to cancel medical and engineering entrance exams JEE and NEET in view of the COVID-19 situation.

He also an alternative admission methodology should be used this year and the exams should not be conducted.

On Friday, Education Ministry officials had said the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) and the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) will be conducted in September as scheduled.

Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day and threw economic activities out of gear.

India's COVID-19 tally sprinted past the 30-lakh mark on Sunday, just 16 days after it crossed 20 lakh, while 22,80,566 people have recuperated in the country so far pushing the recovery rate to 74.90 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

Students from across the country have demanded that CBSE compartment exams be cancelled and entrance exams such as UGC-NET, CLAT, NEET and JEE be postponed in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases.

Students from across the country have demanded that CBSE compartment exams be cancelled and entrance exams such as UGC-NET, CLAT, NEET and JEE be postponed in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases. Over 4,200 students participated in a day-long hunger strike demanding the cancellation and postponement of exams. Using the hashtag SATYAGRAHagainstExamInCovid, students took to Twitter to urge the government to heed to their demands. Manoj S, a JEE aspirant from Karnataka, said, "We have to report to the JEE exam centre at 7 am. My centre is almost 150 kilometres away and there are no train or bus services available currently. "Many of my friends have said that their centres are 200 to 250 kilometres away. How are we supposed to travel? How will we write exams wearing masks for seven to eight hours?" He urged the government to postpone the exams till normalcy is restored. Anisha, hailing from Odisha, said with all the hotels and guest houses closed, where would they stay in case they have to travel for exams. "I am from Balasore and my NEET exam centre is in Bhubaneswar. I will have to travel for five hours to take my exam. There are no hotels or guesthouses that are open. Where will we stay?" she said. Siddh Dutt, who will be appearing for CBSE compartment exam, said, "I am an asthma patient. I am scared of what may happen to me if I catch COVID-19." Madhurima, who said she has to take four different entrance exams, wants authorities to listen to her appeal -- "Please produce a vaccine so that we can take exams. "I am a JEE, IISER, DUET aspirant and also have to take another entrance exam," she said. Md Danish Khan from Bhagalpur in Bihar said he has been "allotted an exam centre in Patna, which is a COVID-19 hotspot". "I do not want to risk the lives of my relatives by staying at their place when I go to take the exam. I also stay in a joint family and if I contract the virus, it will create a chain of infection," he said. A Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) aspirant from Kolkata, who requested anonymity, said she fears for her parents' safety during this time. "My father is a diabetic and my mother just had an operation for a tumour. Even if they go to drop me to the exam centre using public transport, I will be putting them at risk. The government is not ready to listen to us. "We will have to sit and write the exams wearing masks, gloves and headgear under hot weather conditions," she said. Other students also shared similar woes and urged the government to postpone entrance exams and declare the academic year as a "zero year". The Left-backed All India Students' Association lent solidarity to the demands of the students. Top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday, requested the government to defer the all-India medical and engineering entrance examinations taking into consideration the concerns raised by a section of students and parents amid the coronavirus pandemic. A day ago, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had appealed to the central government to cancel medical and engineering entrance exams JEE and NEET in view of the COVID-19 situation. He also an alternative admission methodology should be used this year and the exams should not be conducted. On Friday, Education Ministry officials had said the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) and the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) will be conducted in September as scheduled. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day and threw economic activities out of gear. India's COVID-19 tally sprinted past the 30-lakh mark on Sunday, just 16 days after it crossed 20 lakh, while 22,80,566 people have recuperated in the country so far pushing the recovery rate to 74.90 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

Chorus grows for postponing entrance exams amid COVID-19 pandemic

Medical aspirants from Tamil Nadu bettered their 2018 performance in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admissions, with the state’s overall pass percentage at around 48.57 per cent, against the previous year’s 39.56 per cent.&nbsp;

However, the major political parties in the state, the ruling AIADMK and the opposition DMK renewed call&nbsp;for its abolition from the state.

The demand has come after two medical students took an&nbsp;extreme step and committed suicide allegedly owing to poor scores.

Hours after the results were declared on Wednesday, two aspirants, Rithushree of Tiruppur district and Vaishya of Pattukottai&nbsp;committed suicide.

As word spread about the students’ suicide, the political leaders renewed their calls for NEET exemption for Tamil Nadu or having it abolished in the state.

&nbsp;Reacting to the news, DMK President and Tamil Nadu’s leader of the opposition MK Stalin tweeted, "It is heart-breaking to know of the suicides, keeping in line with the principles of federalism, the Central government must perform its duty and responsibilities by abolishing NEET and respecting the sentiments and wishes of the State Governments."

In a statement, Stalin also assured that DMK Members of Parliament would raise the issue when the House is in session and attempt to get the issue resolved.

“How many more lives is NEET going to claim? How many more dreams are to be crushed by it? Over two years ago the Tamil Nadu Assembly had passed amendments, what happened to the ordinance that was sent to the Central government”, tweeted RK Nagar MLA and AMMK leader TTV Dinakaran.&nbsp;

Speaking to reporters, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said,"It was saddening to know the suicides of the medical aspirant."

He also reiterated that the AIADMK Government was keen on having Tamil Nadu exempt from NEET, political and legal measures are being taken to ensure the same. "Suicide is not a solution for any issue, we must face any challenge with self-confidence," he added.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tamil Nadu’s Health Minister Vijayabaskar refused to answer a question on NEET and walked away.

The recent suicides brought back the memories of Anita, another NEET aspirant from Tamil Nadu who had committed suicide after she failed to qualify the examination. Her death had triggered state-wide outrage with political parties and students who protested expressing their anger.

NEET was and is being opposed in Tamil Nadu on the grounds that it puts the students from rural areas and economically weaker sections at a disadvantage, as they would not be able to afford the specialised coaching that is required to crack the exam.

Earlier, the medical admissions process in Tamil Nadu was based on the score that students obtained in Class XII board exams.

Though there has been a significant improvement in the performance of medical students from Tamil Nadu, the state’s pass percentage is lower than the national average which is around 56 per cent. 
&nbsp;

Medical aspirants from Tamil Nadu bettered their 2018 performance in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admissions, with the state’s overall pass percentage at around 48.

Medical aspirants from Tamil Nadu bettered their 2018 performance in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admissions, with the state’s overall pass percentage at around 48.57 per cent, against the previous year’s 39.56 per cent. However, the major political parties in the state, the ruling AIADMK and the opposition DMK renewed call for its abolition from the state. The demand has come after two medical students took an extreme step and committed suicide allegedly owing to poor scores. Hours after the results were declared on Wednesday, two aspirants, Rithushree of Tiruppur district and Vaishya of Pattukottai committed suicide. As word spread about the students’ suicide, the political leaders renewed their calls for NEET exemption for Tamil Nadu or having it abolished in the state. Reacting to the news, DMK President and Tamil Nadu’s leader of the opposition MK Stalin tweeted, "It is heart-breaking to know of the suicides, keeping in line with the principles of federalism, the Central government must perform its duty and responsibilities by abolishing NEET and respecting the sentiments and wishes of the State Governments." In a statement, Stalin also assured that DMK Members of Parliament would raise the issue when the House is in session and attempt to get the issue resolved. “How many more lives is NEET going to claim? How many more dreams are to be crushed by it? Over two years ago the Tamil Nadu Assembly had passed amendments, what happened to the ordinance that was sent to the Central government”, tweeted RK Nagar MLA and AMMK leader TTV Dinakaran. Speaking to reporters, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said,"It was saddening to know the suicides of the medical aspirant." He also reiterated that the AIADMK Government was keen on having Tamil Nadu exempt from NEET, political and legal measures are being taken to ensure the same. "Suicide is not a solution for any issue, we must face any challenge with self-confidence," he added. Tamil Nadu’s Health Minister Vijayabaskar refused to answer a question on NEET and walked away. The recent suicides brought back the memories of Anita, another NEET aspirant from Tamil Nadu who had committed suicide after she failed to qualify the examination. Her death had triggered state-wide outrage with political parties and students who protested expressing their anger. NEET was and is being opposed in Tamil Nadu on the grounds that it puts the students from rural areas and economically weaker sections at a disadvantage, as they would not be able to afford the specialised coaching that is required to crack the exam. Earlier, the medical admissions process in Tamil Nadu was based on the score that students obtained in Class XII board exams. Though there has been a significant improvement in the performance of medical students from Tamil Nadu, the state’s pass percentage is lower than the national average which is around 56 per cent.

Tamil Nadu students perform better at NEET, but leaders call for its abolition after students' suicide

Both the big Tamil Nadu parties said Tuesday that they would urge the government of India to order the release of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-heres-why-rajiv-gandhis-assassins-should-be-freed-165057">the seven people convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case</a>.&nbsp;

"AIADMK will urge Government of India and the President to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for release of the seven Tamil convicts as ordered by Supreme Court and approved by," the ruling AIADMK said.&nbsp;

And DMK chief MK Stalin said "the seven prisoners of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case will be released on humanitarian basis".&nbsp;

The announcement by both parties was made at the release of their election manifestos.&nbsp;

The DMK were the first to release its manifesto from its party office Anna Arivalayam, where Party President MK Stalin read out the salient features of their manifesto. Some of its salient features were&nbsp;providing Indian citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamils who have been living in refugee camps, abolition of the NEET entrance exam, Central Government Offices in Tamil Nadu would use Tamil as a co-official language, fuel prices would be regulated using an administered pricing mechanism, among others.

Additionally it also mentioned Metro Rail projects for cities such as Madurai, Trichy, Salem, Coimbatore, introducing measures to protect the firecracker industry in Tamil Nadu, offering free train passes for school and college students, and an initiative to link rivers in South India.&nbsp;

About an hour later, the Coordinator of the AIADMK O Panneerselvam released his party’s manifesto. Its highlights included an Amma Poverty Alleviation Scheme, monthly aid of Rs1500 to below poverty line families, the differently-abled and landless agricultural labourers, ensuring that Tamil Nadu is exempt from the NEET exam, and a Cauvery-Godavari river linkage scheme. It also made mention of waiving education loans, transferring education from the concurrent list to the state list, and called for a probe led by an international committee into the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.&nbsp;

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AIADMK in its election manifesto: AIADMK will urge Government of India and the President to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for release of the seven Tamil convicts as ordered by Supreme Court and approved by 
cabinet of Tamil Nadu govt. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LokSabhaElections2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LokSabhaElections2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/22UtSl55s4">https://t.co/22UtSl55s4</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1107893986650411010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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DMK Chief MK Stalin during the release of DMK Election Manifesto in Chennai: The seven prisoners of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case will be released on humanitarian basis. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LokSabhaElections2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LokSabhaElections2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/KUmmjiNMIB">pic.twitter.com/KUmmjiNMIB</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1107893143347826688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Most of the seven convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case are Sri Lankan Tamils.&nbsp;

This is not the first time a Tamil Nadu government has said it will release the seven, but the proposal has been turned down by the Centre.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the DMK also said at the release of its manifesto that it would restart the Sethu Samudram project which envisages the creation of a shipping lane in the Gulf of Mannar which runs between India and the western coast of Sri Lanka.&nbsp;The Congress government at the Centre had to pull back a similar proposal in 2007 because of massive resistance&nbsp;— a number of Hindus believe the Gulf of Mannar is the site of the mythical Ram Setu.&nbsp;

The DMK added that it would introduce a quota in the private sector.&nbsp;

Tamil Nadu goes to polls over a single phase on April 18.&nbsp;

AIADMK and DMK candidates will be in a direct face-off in eight of Tamil Nadu’s 39 constituencies. They include Chennai South, Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai, Tirunelveli, Mayiladuthurai, Salem, Nilgiris and Pollachi.

The AIADMK alliance includes the BJP, PMK, DMDK and smaller regional outfits, while the DMK alliance includes the Congress, Left Parties and smaller regional outfits.

BJP and Congress candidates meanwhile will face off in Kanyakumari and Sivaganga.

The AIADMK and DMK have given 20 seats to their candidates while the rest have been distributed among allies.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Both the big Tamil Nadu parties said Tuesday that they would urge the government of India to order the release of the seven people convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

Both the big Tamil Nadu parties said Tuesday that they would urge the government of India to order the release of the seven people convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. "AIADMK will urge Government of India and the President to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for release of the seven Tamil convicts as ordered by Supreme Court and approved by," the ruling AIADMK said. And DMK chief MK Stalin said "the seven prisoners of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case will be released on humanitarian basis". The announcement by both parties was made at the release of their election manifestos. The DMK were the first to release its manifesto from its party office Anna Arivalayam, where Party President MK Stalin read out the salient features of their manifesto. Some of its salient features were providing Indian citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamils who have been living in refugee camps, abolition of the NEET entrance exam, Central Government Offices in Tamil Nadu would use Tamil as a co-official language, fuel prices would be regulated using an administered pricing mechanism, among others. Additionally it also mentioned Metro Rail projects for cities such as Madurai, Trichy, Salem, Coimbatore, introducing measures to protect the firecracker industry in Tamil Nadu, offering free train passes for school and college students, and an initiative to link rivers in South India. About an hour later, the Coordinator of the AIADMK O Panneerselvam released his party’s manifesto. Its highlights included an Amma Poverty Alleviation Scheme, monthly aid of Rs1500 to below poverty line families, the differently-abled and landless agricultural labourers, ensuring that Tamil Nadu is exempt from the NEET exam, and a Cauvery-Godavari river linkage scheme. It also made mention of waiving education loans, transferring education from the concurrent list to the state list, and called for a probe led by an international committee into the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka. AIADMK in its election manifesto: AIADMK will urge Government of India and the President to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for release of the seven Tamil convicts as ordered by Supreme Court and approved by cabinet of Tamil Nadu govt. #LokSabhaElections2019 https://t.co/22UtSl55s4 — ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2019 × DMK Chief MK Stalin during the release of DMK Election Manifesto in Chennai: The seven prisoners of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case will be released on humanitarian basis. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/KUmmjiNMIB — ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2019 × Most of the seven convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case are Sri Lankan Tamils. This is not the first time a Tamil Nadu government has said it will release the seven, but the proposal has been turned down by the Centre. On Tuesday, the DMK also said at the release of its manifesto that it would restart the Sethu Samudram project which envisages the creation of a shipping lane in the Gulf of Mannar which runs between India and the western coast of Sri Lanka. The Congress government at the Centre had to pull back a similar proposal in 2007 because of massive resistance — a number of Hindus believe the Gulf of Mannar is the site of the mythical Ram Setu. The DMK added that it would introduce a quota in the private sector. Tamil Nadu goes to polls over a single phase on April 18. AIADMK and DMK candidates will be in a direct face-off in eight of Tamil Nadu’s 39 constituencies. They include Chennai South, Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai, Tirunelveli, Mayiladuthurai, Salem, Nilgiris and Pollachi. The AIADMK alliance includes the BJP, PMK, DMDK and smaller regional outfits, while the DMK alliance includes the Congress, Left Parties and smaller regional outfits. BJP and Congress candidates meanwhile will face off in Kanyakumari and Sivaganga. The AIADMK and DMK have given 20 seats to their candidates while the rest have been distributed among allies.

2019 Lok Sabha polls: AIADMK, DMK say will urge Centre to release 7 convicted in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET 2018 would be conducted today across India. As many as 13,26,725 candidates would be appearing in the examination across 2255 centres in 132 cities.&nbsp;

This is by far the largest number of enrolments for the examination.&nbsp;

There are over 66,000 seats in medical and dental courses across the country for which candidates will be competing.&nbsp;

NEET 2018 is being held in 11 languages including &nbsp;Hindi, English, Urdu, Gujarati, Marathi, Oriya, Bengali, Assamese, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada.

The journey, however, has not been an easy one for CBSE – the board that is charged with conducting the examination.&nbsp;

NEET and PILs go hand in hand. From the word go, NEET exam was contested by states. After its announcement in 2013, the exam was quickly shelved after states approached the Supreme Court regarding the examination. The reason – one central examination for all government, aided and private medical colleges were not in favour of students across India.

However, Supreme Court insisted and in 2016 the examination was implemented without prejudice. The examination was made mandatory for admission to both undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses in India. Only AIIMS and JIPMER (both formed under separate acts) were kept out of the purview of NEET.

The confusion that broke out after SC order in 2016 made CBSE conduct the NEET examination again in the year 2016. The troubles for CBSE, however, were far from over. NEET 2017, by far, was perhaps the most controversial and contested exam with PILs in three different High Courts.

There are over 66,000 seats in medical and dental courses across the country for which candidates will be competing.

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET 2018 would be conducted today across India. As many as 13,26,725 candidates would be appearing in the examination across 2255 centres in 132 cities. This is by far the largest number of enrolments for the examination. There are over 66,000 seats in medical and dental courses across the country for which candidates will be competing. NEET 2018 is being held in 11 languages including Hindi, English, Urdu, Gujarati, Marathi, Oriya, Bengali, Assamese, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. The journey, however, has not been an easy one for CBSE – the board that is charged with conducting the examination. NEET and PILs go hand in hand. From the word go, NEET exam was contested by states. After its announcement in 2013, the exam was quickly shelved after states approached the Supreme Court regarding the examination. The reason – one central examination for all government, aided and private medical colleges were not in favour of students across India. However, Supreme Court insisted and in 2016 the examination was implemented without prejudice. The examination was made mandatory for admission to both undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses in India. Only AIIMS and JIPMER (both formed under separate acts) were kept out of the purview of NEET. The confusion that broke out after SC order in 2016 made CBSE conduct the NEET examination again in the year 2016. The troubles for CBSE, however, were far from over. NEET 2017, by far, was perhaps the most controversial and contested exam with PILs in three different High Courts.

NEET 2018: 13.26 lakh students to appear for the exam today

Nearly 100 Tamil medium NEET aspirants were given question papers in Hindi at a centre in Madurai and the pupils were later provided with the Tamil version after a delay of about three hours.

The incident happened at a matriculation school, a NEET centre, where a school official said when a question paper pack was opened and distribution began for four halls in the centre they came to know that they were in Hindi.

Students in these four halls were, however, Tamil medium students and they told them that they could answer only in Tamil. There was no confusion in respect of question papers for other rooms in the centre since they were in English and Tamil, she said.

The school official said they apprised the local NEET/CBSE coordinators.

After taking their directions, question papers in Tamil were arranged and there was a delay of about three hours due to it, the official said.

Since there was a delay, the students were provided lunch and refreshments, she added.

Asked about the incident, a senior CBSE official in Chennai told&nbsp;that the "NEET unit" has taken care of it.

Standing instructions are there to handle such situations and students were given full three hours to write their examination, he said.

About 1.07 lakh candidates took NEET exams across 170 centres in 10 cities in Tamil Nadu.

In Chennai, about 33,000 took their examination at 49 centres, the official said adding there were very negligible absentees.

To a query, he said there were some cases of students turning up late for their examinations.

He said nothing can be done to relax timings since these were mandatory for everyone.

Asked about an aspirant's claim in Salem that she was not allowed to write the exam despite having a hall ticket, he said the name of the student did not appear in the list of candidates.

"Subsequently, after checking, the hall ticket was found to be fake. In such cases we were directed to lodge a police complaint...They (aspirant and those who accompanied her) left the centre," he said.&nbsp;

The incident happened at a matriculation school, a NEET centre, where a school official said when a question paper pack was opened and distribution began for four halls in the centre they came to know that they were in Hindi.

Nearly 100 Tamil medium NEET aspirants were given question papers in Hindi at a centre in Madurai and the pupils were later provided with the Tamil version after a delay of about three hours. The incident happened at a matriculation school, a NEET centre, where a school official said when a question paper pack was opened and distribution began for four halls in the centre they came to know that they were in Hindi. Students in these four halls were, however, Tamil medium students and they told them that they could answer only in Tamil. There was no confusion in respect of question papers for other rooms in the centre since they were in English and Tamil, she said. The school official said they apprised the local NEET/CBSE coordinators. After taking their directions, question papers in Tamil were arranged and there was a delay of about three hours due to it, the official said. Since there was a delay, the students were provided lunch and refreshments, she added. Asked about the incident, a senior CBSE official in Chennai told that the "NEET unit" has taken care of it. Standing instructions are there to handle such situations and students were given full three hours to write their examination, he said. About 1.07 lakh candidates took NEET exams across 170 centres in 10 cities in Tamil Nadu. In Chennai, about 33,000 took their examination at 49 centres, the official said adding there were very negligible absentees. To a query, he said there were some cases of students turning up late for their examinations. He said nothing can be done to relax timings since these were mandatory for everyone. Asked about an aspirant's claim in Salem that she was not allowed to write the exam despite having a hall ticket, he said the name of the student did not appear in the list of candidates. "Subsequently, after checking, the hall ticket was found to be fake. In such cases we were directed to lodge a police complaint...They (aspirant and those who accompanied her) left the centre," he said.

NEET: Tamil medium students given Hindi question paper in Tamil Nadu

The Supreme Court today directed the CBSE not to make Aadhaar number mandatory for enrolment of students appearing in NEET 2018 and other all-India exams.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief justice Dipak Misra directed the CBSE to upload the information on their website.

Earlier in the day, UIDAI had told the apex court that it has not authorised CBSE to mandatorily take Aadhaar number of students to get themselves enroled for appearing in NEET 2018 examination.

Attorney General K K Venugopal had said he has instructions from Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) that like in Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya and Assam other identity proofs like passport, voter card and ration card can be used by the CBSE for enroling the students in the examination.

The UIDAI&#39;s remarks came on a plea challenging the decision of CBSE seeking mandatorily the Aadhaar number or Aadhaar enrolment number from students who are aspiring to take up the NEET 2018 examination.

The Gujarat High Court had dismissed the plea on February 27. 
 
The appeal in Supreme Court challenges the order of Gujarat High Court.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court today directed the CBSE not to make Aadhaar number mandatory for enrolment of students appearing in NEET 2018 and other all-India exams

The Supreme Court today directed the CBSE not to make Aadhaar number mandatory for enrolment of students appearing in NEET 2018 and other all-India exams. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief justice Dipak Misra directed the CBSE to upload the information on their website. Earlier in the day, UIDAI had told the apex court that it has not authorised CBSE to mandatorily take Aadhaar number of students to get themselves enroled for appearing in NEET 2018 examination. Attorney General K K Venugopal had said he has instructions from Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) that like in Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya and Assam other identity proofs like passport, voter card and ration card can be used by the CBSE for enroling the students in the examination. The UIDAI's remarks came on a plea challenging the decision of CBSE seeking mandatorily the Aadhaar number or Aadhaar enrolment number from students who are aspiring to take up the NEET 2018 examination. The Gujarat High Court had dismissed the plea on February 27. The appeal in Supreme Court challenges the order of Gujarat High Court.

Aadhaar not mandatory for students taking all-India examinations: Supreme Court

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Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Vishwanath Shetty was stabbed three times in his Bengaluru office Wednesday while hearing a case.

The attacker, identified by police as Tejharaj Sharma, has been taken into custody by Bengaluru Police.

 
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The Supreme Court today directed the CBSE not to make Aadhaar number mandatory for enrolment of students appearing in NEET 2018 and other all-India exams.

 
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The India-China bilateral trade reached $84.44 billion last year, an historic high notwithstanding bilateral tensions over a host of issues including the Doklam standoff.

 
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&nbsp;

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Border Security Force to withdraw an order against a BSF jawan who was given a penalty of seven days&rsquo; pay for showing disrespect towards Mr Modi.

Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Vishwanath Shetty stabbed thrice in his office, attacker arrested Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Vishwanath Shetty was stabbed three times in his Bengaluru office Wednesday while hearing a case. The attacker, identified by police as Tejharaj Sharma, has been taken into custody by Bengaluru Police. Aadhaar not mandatory for students taking all-India examinations: Supreme Court The Supreme Court today directed the CBSE not to make Aadhaar number mandatory for enrolment of students appearing in NEET 2018 and other all-India exams. India-China bilateral trade hits historic high of $84.44 billion in 2017 The India-China bilateral trade reached $84.44 billion last year, an historic high notwithstanding bilateral tensions over a host of issues including the Doklam standoff. Cricketer Mohammed Shami denies torturing wife, having extramarital affairs Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami has rejected reports of his extramarital affairs, saying that someone is conspiring against him to ruin his career. BSF revokes pay cut of jawan who did not call PM 'Shri' Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Border Security Force to withdraw an order against a BSF jawan who was given a penalty of seven days’ pay for showing disrespect towards Mr Modi.

WION Evening News Brief, March 7, 2018

The Delhi high court on Wednesday put on hold the operation of a CBSE notification laying down eligibility conditions, including upper age limit of 25 years and 30 years for general and reserved categories respectively, to apply for MBBS course.

The order was passed by a bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar on several petitions moved by medical aspirants who are aggrieved by various other eligibility norms which bar them from applying for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)-UG for which the last date for submitting the application is on 9 March.

Under the CBSE notification, candidates who have studied in open school, students who have had biology as an additional subject, those who have taken more than two years to complete their 11th and 12th and students who have studied privately were not eligible to apply for the exam.

The court, while passing its interim order, made it clear that while the candidates are allowed to submit their application for the entrance exam, it does not mean that they can sit for it.

The bench also said students from open school or those who have studied privately should belong to a recognised board in order to apply for the exam. The court said the interim order will continue till the next date of hearing on 6 April.

The Delhi high court in its interim order also made it clear that while the candidates are allowed to submit their application for the NEET, it does not mean that they can sit for it

The Delhi high court on Wednesday put on hold the operation of a CBSE notification laying down eligibility conditions, including upper age limit of 25 years and 30 years for general and reserved categories respectively, to apply for MBBS course. The order was passed by a bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar on several petitions moved by medical aspirants who are aggrieved by various other eligibility norms which bar them from applying for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)-UG for which the last date for submitting the application is on 9 March. Under the CBSE notification, candidates who have studied in open school, students who have had biology as an additional subject, those who have taken more than two years to complete their 11th and 12th and students who have studied privately were not eligible to apply for the exam. The court, while passing its interim order, made it clear that while the candidates are allowed to submit their application for the entrance exam, it does not mean that they can sit for it. The bench also said students from open school or those who have studied privately should belong to a recognised board in order to apply for the exam. The court said the interim order will continue till the next date of hearing on 6 April.

Delhi High Court stays CBSE notification on eligibility norms for NEET

The family of Anitha -- the 17-year-old Dalit girl who committed suicide in Tamil Nadu -- has refused to accept the Rs 7 lakh the state government had promised them.&nbsp;

Anitha was found hanging in her home on Friday.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-girl-who-moved-sc-against-neet-commits-suicide-19782" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Tamil Nadu girl who moved SC against NEET commits suicide</a>

She had allegedly killed herself because the Supreme Court had turned down her petition that admission to medical colleges not be given only on the basis of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test.&nbsp;

Anitha had scored 1,176 marks out of 1,200 in her class XII board examinations but was unable to get admission to a medical college because she did not do well on the NEET exam.&nbsp;

She told the SC that the exam worked against students from rural areas.&nbsp;

There had been widespread protests in Tamil Nadu over her suicide, with the protesters blaming the central government for Anitha&#39;s death.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-protests-break-out-over-suicide-of-girl-who-moved-sc-against-neet-exam-19791" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Protests break out across Tamil Nadu over suicide of Anitha who moved SC against NEET exam</a>

The filmstar Rajnikanth had also offered his condolences to the family.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RipAnitha?src=hash">#RipAnitha</a> <a href="https://t.co/p5t507dLaQ">pic.twitter.com/p5t507dLaQ</a>
&mdash; Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) <a href="https://twitter.com/superstarrajini/status/903597665782382592">September 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The family, the Hindu newspaper reported, had earlier accepted a cheque for Rs 10 lakh from DMK working president MK Stalin.&nbsp;

But when the Ariyalur district collector and superintendent of police tried to offer&nbsp;them a cheque for Rs 7 lakh from the state government, the family refused to accept it.&nbsp;

The family said Anitha had died because Tamil Nadu was still subject to the ambit of the NEET exam.&nbsp;

And that they would accept the money only when that no longer remained the case.&nbsp;

The Hindu reported the DC as saying the family had seemed reluctant to accept the money, but that the authorities would wait for some time.&nbsp;

In the meantime, the authorities have offered a job to one member of Anitha&#39;s family.&nbsp;

Anitha is survived by her father and four brothers. She lost her mother early.&nbsp;

The Hindu reported the DC as saying the job given would depend on the educational qualifications of the family member.&nbsp;

Anitha had allegedly killed herself because the SC turned down her petition that admission to medical colleges not be given only on the basis of the NEET exam

The family of Anitha -- the 17-year-old Dalit girl who committed suicide in Tamil Nadu -- has refused to accept the Rs 7 lakh the state government had promised them. Anitha was found hanging in her home on Friday. Also read: Tamil Nadu girl who moved SC against NEET commits suicide She had allegedly killed herself because the Supreme Court had turned down her petition that admission to medical colleges not be given only on the basis of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test. Anitha had scored 1,176 marks out of 1,200 in her class XII board examinations but was unable to get admission to a medical college because she did not do well on the NEET exam. She told the SC that the exam worked against students from rural areas. There had been widespread protests in Tamil Nadu over her suicide, with the protesters blaming the central government for Anitha's death. Also read: Protests break out across Tamil Nadu over suicide of Anitha who moved SC against NEET exam The filmstar Rajnikanth had also offered his condolences to the family. #RipAnitha pic.twitter.com/p5t507dLaQ — Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) September 1, 2017 × The family, the Hindu newspaper reported, had earlier accepted a cheque for Rs 10 lakh from DMK working president MK Stalin. But when the Ariyalur district collector and superintendent of police tried to offer them a cheque for Rs 7 lakh from the state government, the family refused to accept it. The family said Anitha had died because Tamil Nadu was still subject to the ambit of the NEET exam. And that they would accept the money only when that no longer remained the case. The Hindu reported the DC as saying the family had seemed reluctant to accept the money, but that the authorities would wait for some time. In the meantime, the authorities have offered a job to one member of Anitha's family. Anitha is survived by her father and four brothers. She lost her mother early. The Hindu reported the DC as saying the job given would depend on the educational qualifications of the family member.

Family of TN girl who committed suicide refuses to take govt's Rs 7 lakh

In a setback for the Tamil Nadu government, the Supreme Court of India today (August 22) observed that the National Eligibility Cum Admissions Test (NEET) would be the only basis for admissions to the state&#39;s medical colleges.&nbsp;

A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra directed the Tamil Nadu government to start counselling for admissions to the MBBS and BDS seats in the state based on the NEET and complete the process by September 4.

The ruling came after the central government told the court that it was not in favour of the recent ordinance passed by Tamil Nadu government to exempt it from the NEET.&nbsp;

The top court was hearing a plea filed by six students from Tamil Nadu that the state government conduct counselling for the medical seats solely on the basis of the merit list prepared on the basis of NEET marks.

On August 17, it had put on hold till August 22 the counselling for medical seats in the state and asked the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the state government to find a balanced solution to deal with the interests of state board students and those who cleared NEET.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted the NEET examination on May 7.

The National Eligibility and Entrance Test was made mandatory for admission in the MBBS and the BDS courses across India last year. The exam replaced the All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) and all individual MBBS exams conducted by states or colleges.&nbsp;

Tamil Nadu became the first state to introduce Bills&nbsp;to exempt students from appearing for the NEET. Many medical colleges.

 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The top court had put on hold the counselling for medical seats in the state

In a setback for the Tamil Nadu government, the Supreme Court of India today (August 22) observed that the National Eligibility Cum Admissions Test (NEET) would be the only basis for admissions to the state's medical colleges. A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra directed the Tamil Nadu government to start counselling for admissions to the MBBS and BDS seats in the state based on the NEET and complete the process by September 4. The ruling came after the central government told the court that it was not in favour of the recent ordinance passed by Tamil Nadu government to exempt it from the NEET. The top court was hearing a plea filed by six students from Tamil Nadu that the state government conduct counselling for the medical seats solely on the basis of the merit list prepared on the basis of NEET marks. On August 17, it had put on hold till August 22 the counselling for medical seats in the state and asked the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the state government to find a balanced solution to deal with the interests of state board students and those who cleared NEET. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted the NEET examination on May 7. The National Eligibility and Entrance Test was made mandatory for admission in the MBBS and the BDS courses across India last year. The exam replaced the All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) and all individual MBBS exams conducted by states or colleges. Tamil Nadu became the first state to introduce Bills to exempt students from appearing for the NEET. Many medical colleges.

NEET to be the only basis of admissions: Supreme Court to Tamil Nadu govt

The Supreme Court of India tiday&nbsp;asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)&nbsp; to declare the results of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test&nbsp;(NEET) examination for admission to MBBS and BDS courses by putting a stay on the Madras High Court order restraining publication of results.

The CBSE has&nbsp;set in motion the process for declaring the result of NEET-2017 after the Supreme Court&#39;s go-ahead.

The apex court order comes as a relief for 12 lakh medical aspirants who had given the exam.

The apex court directed the authorities concerned to proceed with the process of declaration of results, subsequent counselling and admission as per the schedule fixed by it earlier.

However, a vacation bench of Justices P C Pant and Deepak Gupta said the declaration of results as well as the subsequent counselling and admission will be subject to the decision of the apex court in the matter pending before it.

The bench also requested all the high courts not to entertain petitions in the matters relating to the (NEET) examination 2017.

The order came on the plea by the&nbsp;CBSE&nbsp;and others challenging the May 24 order of the Madras High Court which had restrained the Board from publishing the results of NEET examination 2017 in which around 12 lakh aspirants had appeared.

Additional solicitor general (ASG) Maninder Singh, appearing for the CBSE, told the bench that due to high court&#39;s order the process of declaration of results and subsequent admission have stalled and the order was in conflict with the schedule fixed by the apex court earlier.

The bench also observed that the high court&#39;s order was &quot;indirectly diluting the schedule&quot; fixed by the apex court.

&quot;On one ground we are inclined to stay the high court&#39;s order. What indirectly this order is doing is that it is diluting the schedule fixed by the Supreme Court,&quot; the bench said while staying the high court&#39;s order.

&quot;In view of the above, the interim order is stayed and it is directed that the authorities concerned will proceed further with declaration of results for the NEET 2017 examination subject to decision of this court,&quot; the bench said while listing the matter for further proceedings after summer vacation.

The CBSE had on June 9 moved the Supreme Court seeking an immediate stay on the Madras High Court order.

The high court had on May 24 granted interim stay on the publication of NEET results on a batch of pleas alleging that a uniform question paper was not given in the examination and there was a vast difference between the ones in English and in Tamil.

The CBSE had said that due to the high court&#39;s order, the entire schedule of counselling and subsequent admission for medical courses through NEET has gone &quot;haywire&quot;.

ASG Singh had earlier told the apex court that out of 12 lakh aspirants who appeared in the NEET 2017, around 10.5 lakh students have given the exam in either Hindi or English while around 1.25 lakh to 1.50 lakh students have appeared in eight vernacular languages.

He had said that a number of pleas have been filed in various high courts in NEET-related matters and high courts have entertained these petitions despite the apex court&#39;s order that no other court shall hear such matters.

He had also sought transfer of petitions from various high courts to the apex court which concerns the NEET for the academic year 2017-18.

Singh had said that challenge to different sets of questions in vernacular languages were on wrong assumptions that they were difficult as the experts had examined that they were different from those in English or Hindi medium but the level of difficulty cannot be said to be different.

He had said that questions were different to keep the larger interest protected on the ground that if there was a leakage of a set of paper in a vernacular language, the majority of students would be protected as candidates appearing in any particular language were less than those opting for English or Hindi.

The Madras high court had also directed the Medical Council of India, the director of CBSE and the Union Health Ministry to file counter affidavits on these pleas pending before it.

The petitioners before the high court demanded that the NEET 2017 be cancelled and a fresh exam with a uniform question paper be conducted.

They have claimed that different sets of question paper had been used at various places, though a common syllabus had been announced.

In Tamil Nadu, the question papers were different for those who opted English and Tamil and the one in Tamil was easier, they have claimed.

The order came on the plea by the?CBSE?and others challenging the May 24 order of the Madras High Court which had restrained the Board from publishing the results of NEET examination 2017 in which around 12 lakh aspirants had appeared

The Supreme Court of India tiday asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to declare the results of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination for admission to MBBS and BDS courses by putting a stay on the Madras High Court order restraining publication of results. The CBSE has set in motion the process for declaring the result of NEET-2017 after the Supreme Court's go-ahead. The apex court order comes as a relief for 12 lakh medical aspirants who had given the exam. The apex court directed the authorities concerned to proceed with the process of declaration of results, subsequent counselling and admission as per the schedule fixed by it earlier. However, a vacation bench of Justices P C Pant and Deepak Gupta said the declaration of results as well as the subsequent counselling and admission will be subject to the decision of the apex court in the matter pending before it. The bench also requested all the high courts not to entertain petitions in the matters relating to the (NEET) examination 2017. The order came on the plea by the CBSE and others challenging the May 24 order of the Madras High Court which had restrained the Board from publishing the results of NEET examination 2017 in which around 12 lakh aspirants had appeared. Additional solicitor general (ASG) Maninder Singh, appearing for the CBSE, told the bench that due to high court's order the process of declaration of results and subsequent admission have stalled and the order was in conflict with the schedule fixed by the apex court earlier. The bench also observed that the high court's order was "indirectly diluting the schedule" fixed by the apex court. "On one ground we are inclined to stay the high court's order. What indirectly this order is doing is that it is diluting the schedule fixed by the Supreme Court," the bench said while staying the high court's order. "In view of the above, the interim order is stayed and it is directed that the authorities concerned will proceed further with declaration of results for the NEET 2017 examination subject to decision of this court," the bench said while listing the matter for further proceedings after summer vacation. The CBSE had on June 9 moved the Supreme Court seeking an immediate stay on the Madras High Court order. The high court had on May 24 granted interim stay on the publication of NEET results on a batch of pleas alleging that a uniform question paper was not given in the examination and there was a vast difference between the ones in English and in Tamil. The CBSE had said that due to the high court's order, the entire schedule of counselling and subsequent admission for medical courses through NEET has gone "haywire". ASG Singh had earlier told the apex court that out of 12 lakh aspirants who appeared in the NEET 2017, around 10.5 lakh students have given the exam in either Hindi or English while around 1.25 lakh to 1.50 lakh students have appeared in eight vernacular languages. He had said that a number of pleas have been filed in various high courts in NEET-related matters and high courts have entertained these petitions despite the apex court's order that no other court shall hear such matters. He had also sought transfer of petitions from various high courts to the apex court which concerns the NEET for the academic year 2017-18. Singh had said that challenge to different sets of questions in vernacular languages were on wrong assumptions that they were difficult as the experts had examined that they were different from those in English or Hindi medium but the level of difficulty cannot be said to be different. He had said that questions were different to keep the larger interest protected on the ground that if there was a leakage of a set of paper in a vernacular language, the majority of students would be protected as candidates appearing in any particular language were less than those opting for English or Hindi. The Madras high court had also directed the Medical Council of India, the director of CBSE and the Union Health Ministry to file counter affidavits on these pleas pending before it. The petitioners before the high court demanded that the NEET 2017 be cancelled and a fresh exam with a uniform question paper be conducted. They have claimed that different sets of question paper had been used at various places, though a common syllabus had been announced. In Tamil Nadu, the question papers were different for those who opted English and Tamil and the one in Tamil was easier, they have claimed.

Following Supreme Court order, CBSE sets NEET result process in motion

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