Maharashtra Education Minister criticises AAP for backing NEET

Mumbai: In a veiled dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for backing the uniform medical entrance examination NEET, Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde on Tuesday said the Aam Aadmi Party has lost contact with students from poor financial background.

The Kejriwal-led Delhi government had recently thrown its weight behind the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) by deciding that the uniform medical entrance examination will be applicable in all medical colleges under it. Kejriwal had also urged the President not to sign the ordinance exempting the state boards from it.

"AAP is against students appearing for CET (common entrance test) and wants medical colleges to follow NEET. They have no contact left with the poor and students from weak financial background and are thus making such statements," Tawde told reporters here.

"Delhi is a city where there is CBSE Board. They do not know the ground realities in rural parts of other states. For them, CET is just used to fuel corrupt practices by colleges. This is not true," the minister said.

Taking on Congress, Tawde said the party's leadership at the centre and in the state are confused over the issue, and asked the party to make their official stand known to the people.

"Leaders of Congress in the state and at the centre are making different comments over the issue. The party needs to come clean in front of the nation on what their actual stand is," he said.

Tawde further clarified that 2,810 seats in government colleges will be given to students in accordance with the CET examination taken by them on May 5.

However, private colleges in Maharashtra have not allotted any seat for the government quota, thus NEET will be applicable in all private colleges, he said.

He said the state government will also file a caveat in the Supreme Court over the issue.

President Pranab Mukherjee today signed the ordinance to keep state boards out of the common entrance test (NEET) for MBBS and dental courses for this year.