Government has approved promulgation of an ordinance to keep state boards out of the ambit of uniform medical entrance examination, NEET, for one academic year. The executive order is aimed at “partially” overturning the Supreme Court verdict which said all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET. The next phase of the exam is scheduled for July 24. Nearly 6.5 lakh students have already sat for the first phase of NEET held on May 1.

Once the ordinance is issued, students of state government boards will not have to sit for NEET on July 24. They, however, will have to become part of the uniform entrance exam from next academic session, government sources clarified.

The exam will be applicable for those applying for Central government and private management institutions under the management quota. The apex court had on May 9 rejected pleas of state governments and minority institutions to allow them to hold separate entrance exams for MBBS and BDS courses for 2016-17, saying only NEET provides for conducting such test for admission to these courses