NEET logjam: Fadnavis vows to fight for state aspirants

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday assured parents that his government was committed to protecting interests of medical and dental aspirants from across the state.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday assured parents that his government was committed to protecting interests of medical and dental aspirants from across the state.

“The government is fighting for our students at the SC, we only want the best for them. I have explained the same to parents,” the CM told HT.

A group of parents on Saturday evening met Fadnavis in Nagpur, seeking his intervention to break the NEET admission deadlock, especially since the CM had promised 85% seats in state institutes only to students from Maharashtra. The same is currently being challenged by a Nashik-based dental institute at the Bombay high court.

“The government is already fighting for our students at the SC, we only want the best for them. I have explained the same to parents,” the CM told HT.

Read: NEET deadlock: Furious parents demand clarity on private colleges

“During the discussion on NEET, CM Fadnavis had clearly assured us that 85% of the seats will be kept aside for students from Maharashtra. He has to stand by us now and fight for our children,” Ruie Kapoor, a parent, said, adding, “We demand his resignation otherwise.”

Parents’ point of contention is that until April 2016, most students in state were preparing for the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MH-CET) and did not have enough time to prepare for the NEET. “We fear our children will lose out on seats in state institutes if the 85% domicile rule is lifted,” said another parent.

While admission to private institutes are yet to take off in the state due to a petition pending in the Bombay HC, a few deemed institutes have already released a provisional merit list for admissions. Parents have pointed that more than 50% of the seats in deemed institutes have gone to students from outside the state. Students fear that private institutes may follow the suit. 

Read: Govt moves SC on NEET admissions

Meanwhile, a circular on the DMER website on Friday mentioned three petitions filed by the state in the SC against a Bombay HC order which allowed deemed institutes to conduct their own admission process, and that the final order of the SC may affect the ongoing admissions.

Both petitions at the HC and SC will come up for hearing next on September 14.