Agitated parents of medical aspirants protested at Azad Maidan

Agitated parents of medical aspirants protested at Azad Maidan on Friday evening over Supreme Court's verdict of scrapping state Common Entrance Test (CET) for MBBS/BDS admissions. National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) will be the single entrance test for admission to under graduate medical courses across the nation.

The SC's verdict has received backlash from parents because lakhs of students from different states across India have studied only for CET. More shockingly, as the verdict has come after the test, it has been much disturbing for students to know that the examination for which they appeared on May 5 now stands cancelled. Moreover parents are also complaining about how the NEET syllabus is different from the CET syllabus and it is not possible to prepare for it in just two months and appear for NEET phase II, scheduled in July.

A protesting parent, Priya Shah, said, "The state at first challenged the decision. So we were hopeful. But now even the state government seems to have accepted the verdict. But as parents we know what ordeal our children are going through. They have prepared for almost two years for this test. We cannot let their preparation go to waste."

Prof. Nayan Verma, physics teacher from a coaching institute, said, "Students are stressed. On top of it some coaching institutes are taking advantage of this anxiety and coming up with crash courses with new fees."

Colleges to help
While some coaching institutes are encashing on the stressed situation, few Mumbai colleges form have opened classrooms again for their Std XII students. Colleges have begun preparation sessions with help from professors during summer vacations without any charges. At Sathaye College one workshop will be held to guide students for last minute studies, important questions, clearing doubts etc. Similarly at Somaiya College sessions will begin from Monday to help students feeling the pressure to cope with studies.