NEET issue: Lok Sabha to take up bills to replace ordinance today

New Delhi: Two important bills that seek to replace ordinances to keep state boards out of the ambit of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for this academic year will be taken up in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

"The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2016 - seeking to amend the Indian Medical Council Act of 1956 and The Dentists Act of 1948 - to replace the two ordinances will be taken up on Tuesday," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs SS Ahluwalia said yesterday.

The business advisory committee of the House had fixed four to six hours for discussions on the bills, he added.

The Centre had, in the wake of reported pressure from some states, in May promulgated the two ordinances to keep the state boards out of the ambit of the pan-India medical and dental entrance examination (NEET) for 2016.

"Passing these two bills will be our top priority," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said.

On July 14, the Supreme Court had expressed "doubt" over the validity of the ordinance allowing the states to hold their own entrance examinations for admissions to undergraduate medical courses for the current academic year after bypassing the NEET. 

The apex court refused to stay the ordinance`s operation since 50 per cent of the states had already conducted their own entrance examinations for admissions to their respective government medical colleges. 

However, a bench of Justice Anil R. Dave, Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said: "Prima facie, we find that the validity of the ordinance is open to doubt."

The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2016 were slated to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday by Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda but the Lower House proceedings were adjourned for the day as a mark of respect to the death of a sitting member.

Ahluwalia said the Lok Sabha will also take up a "short-duration discussion" on July 20 (Wednesday) on the Kashmir violence, general law and order in the country and on terror attacks.