Karnataka Assembly passes resolution to scrap NEET, joins Tamil Nadu and West Bengal
Bengaluru: On Thursday, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka passed a resolution in both houses of the legislature to abolish the all-India medical exam NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test). With this move, Karnataka becomes the third state to pass a resolution against NEET, following Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
The resolution highlights serious irregularities in the NEET exam and calls on the Union Government to exempt Karnataka from NEET, advocating a return to the previous Common Entrance Test (CET) system for medical college admissions in the state.
“The NEET examination which severely affects the medical education opportunities of poor rural students, makes schooling redundant and deprives the right of the State Governments to admit students in State Government Medical colleges, should be abolished,” the resolution said.
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Former minister CN Ashwath Narayan criticised the Congress for what he termed political opportunism, asserting that the party is opposing it for political reasons. He added that NEET was intended to create uniformity among students from various backgrounds and regions.
State Minister of Medical Education and Skill Development Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil moved the resolution in the legislative assembly, while Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar presented it in the legislative council. Earlier, Shivakumar had expressed concerns about NEET, noting that while Karnataka has built its medical colleges, the NEET exam is predominantly benefitting North Indian students and depriving local students. “We all have to unitedly fight against this,” he said.
In addition to scrapping NEET, the Karnataka Assembly also passed a resolution opposing the Centre’s “One Nation, One Election” proposal.
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US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
