Srinagar: National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Thursday appealed to the Supreme Court to protect the interests of medical students of Jammu and Kashmir, saying the extension of NEET to the state would put their future in peril.
"The extension of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) to Jammu and Kashmir will be detrimental to the interests of the students from the state and will put their future in peril," Abdullah said while addressing party workers at Pattan in Baramulla district.
Appealing to the Supreme Court to safeguard the future of the students from the state, the former Chief Minister said the PDP-BJP government should treat this matter with "utmost seriousness" as any "callousness" would harm the dreams of "our students who have been studying hard in preparation for their entrance examinations".
Abdullah, who was Union minister in the previus UPA-led government, said the extension of NEET to Jammu and Kashmir would also rob its female students of the 50 per cent reservation that was introduced by the National Conference government in the state's medical colleges to boost women empowerment and education.
"Our girls will have to compete on a national level for this reservation and the very purpose of reserving 50 per cent seats in medical colleges for them will be defeated.
"Apart from this, our students have spent the last two years preparing for their entrance examinations based on the state board syllabus and curriculum, while NEET is based on the CBSE curriculum. This has created anxiety in the minds of our students and the state government has been reluctant to allay their fears and assuage their apprehensions and those of their parents," Abdullah said.
Earlier, the NC presiddent inaugurated a newly constructed mosque and 'Ziyarat Sharif' (shrine) at Ziyarat Hazrat Mohuiddin Khan Sahab Naqshbandi at Nihalpora Pattan and offered prayers there.
"The state government should keep its promises made to the people and ensure there is delivery of governance in every nook and corner of the state," he said.
He expressed disappointment at the "induced misery" because of the state government's "insensitivity and apathy", demonstrated by the extension of National Food Security Act to the state.
"Today our people are out on the streets to protest for their basic requirements of ration and this doesn't augur well for peace and stability in the state. Developmental projects in the state have been put on the back-burner and people are suffering," he alleged.
