Lucknow High Court permits admissions to Ayurveda, Unani medical colleges via NEET

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has permitted admissions through national eligibility cum entrance test (NEET) in Ayurveda, Unani Medical Colleges of Uttar Pradesh till December 20.

Passing the order on a bunch of writ petitions, the court directed the state to proceed with filing up of remaining vacancies of AYUSH, which now remain vacant even after the completion of NEET process.

The court, however, made it clear that the NEET merit should not be lowered any further.

“Only those students, who have already qualified NEET will be granted admission in preference,” the court said.

After the said process, the remaining seats shall be filled up by the state government by finding out the meritorious students through the process, which the state deems fit, it added.

The court further directed the state government to complete the admission process and ensure that colleges get their quota of students on or before December 15.

In case, the state government fails to find out such students and provide them to colleges by December 15, it shall be open for AYUSH colleges to take admissions of students as per the directions given in the order of the Karnataka high court, from December 16 onwards. The colleges shall complete such exercise, if required, between December 16 and 20.

No admission shall be taken after December 20, the court directed.

The admissions, which are given to students, under the orders of this court, shall be subject to the final decision of these writ petitions and this fact shall be noted on every admission given under this order, the court said.

“This order shall apply to all the AYUSH colleges which are granted permission by the central government till today,” the court ordered.

Justice Vivek Chaudhary passed the order on the bunch of writ petitions filed by Pradeep Kumar Chaudhary and others challenging the admission procedure through NEET.

The petitioners submitted that there was no age limit provided under law for admission to Ayurveda and Unani Medical Colleges but while taking admission through NEET, age limit of 25 years was imposed.

Similarly, though there was no requirement of having English subject in Class XII, such a condition was imposed in NEET.

For admission in Unani colleges, law makes Urdu language compulsory but no test with regard to the knowledge of Urdu was made a condition in NEET, the petitioners added.

Senior advocate SK Kalia, assisted by advocate Rajat Rajan Singh, argued on behalf of the petitioners. They cited the Karnataka high court order saying that similar order should be passed with regard to the state of Uttar Pradesh as situation in all the states is same.

On behalf of the state government, advocate general (AG) Raghvendra Singh submitted that in past few decades in the state, a large number of students appeared in Class Xll, who passed the examination by mass copying, therefore, state of Uttar Pradesh should be granted opportunity to fill up the seats by making a preliminary examination to weed out the incompetent students and find out the meritorious ones.

On the said request of AG, the court passed said order. The next hearing will take place on December 20.