The controversial National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), will take effect from this 2016-17 academic year itself for all management quota seats, Health Minister JP Nadda confirmed on Wednesday.

The Minister was addressing media after President Pranab Mukherjee signed the ordinance, earlier cleared by the Cabinet on May 20, to overturn the order passed by the Supreme Court mandating that NEET be conducted for all the seats in medical colleges.

However, under the ordinance students appearing for admissions under State Government seats – both in Government and private medical schools – will not have to appear for the common exam.

The first phase of NEET, earlier known as the All India Pre-Medical Test, has already been conducted on May 1, and the second phase is due to be conducted on July 24.

“Only State Government seats in Government Medical Colleges and State Government seats in private institutions will have exemption (if the state Government concerned so opts) for the current year,” a statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

He also clarified, “Management quota seats shall be filled by the respective private colleges/associations of colleges and/or private universities/deemed universities through the NEET UG-2016 examination only, in all the States even for this year,” and added that starting with the postgraduate exam in December 2016, NEET will fully apply without any exemption.

However, six States and one Union Territory are already participating in NEET this year.

“The purpose of the Ordinances is to provide a firm statutory status to the concept of Uniform Entrance Examination for all undergraduate and post graduate admissions in medical/dental colleges, while providing a relaxation to the State Governments in relation to only UG admissions for this year (2016-17) in view of their difficulties”, Nadda said.\

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