The Supreme Court on Thursday prohibited admissions in medical colleges in Tamil Nadu till August 22, The Hindu reported. The Union Law Ministry on Wednesday cleared the Tamil Nadu government’s Ordinance to exempt students from the state, who were seeking admissions to government colleges, from taking the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for one year.

The court asked the Centre and the Medical Council of India to explain the balance between the students who cleared Neet and those who were not equipped for the test. “We do not want a situation where Neet is demolished,” the bench said. “Our motto is whatever we do, a student who laboured for Neet and got a rank should not suffer at whatever cost.”

The bench of justices Dipak Misra, Amitava Roy and AM Khanvilkar heard a batch of petitions filed by several students, who had passed the national examination, against the Ordinance. “We concentrated on Neet and not the board exams,” the petitioners submitted, according to Bar and Bench. “Around 33,000 students qualified Neet. They will suffer if the Ordinance is framed.”

Justice Misra asked the government how it proposed to strike a balance between rural students and those students who had cleared the Neet. “We do not want a single student to suffer,” he said.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on August 22.

The Neet controversy

Medical college admissions across India are done on the basis of Neet scores. However, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Tamil Nadu government has been opposing the examination. They have been asking for reservation to protect the interests of students from Tamil Nadu.

The state first resisted the introduction of Neet initially because it said the Central Board of Secondary Education-based exam would harm the admission prospects of students from the state board. Then, after the results of this year’s exam were declared on June 23, the state reserved 85% seats for these students and ordered a separate merit list. On July 14, the Madras High Court had struck this order down.

The central board’s students, who had challenged this in court, had argued that it is “discriminating [against] students solely on the basis of their school board”.

On July 22, Tamil Nadu Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had said that the test puts social justice in danger. Its Working President MK Stalin had said that Neet has ruined medical aspirants’ dreams.