CET to be conducted by CBSE from next year onwards

GANGTOK, 04 Dec: The Common Entrance Test [CET] for the state quota Medical and Engineering seats will now be conducted by the Central Board for Secondary Education [from the 2013-14 session onwards]. This exam used to earlier be conducted by the HRD Department,
This was announced by the HRD Minister NK Pradhan while speaking to media-persons here at the HRDD conference hall today. “There were a series of meetings held in New Delhi where it was discussed that there were too many CETs being held in the country and so the Government of India, in order to make it unified, decided to hold one national CET, which will be conducted by the CBSE,” he explained.
To avail the medical seats [33 MBBS/ 12 BDS] candidates will have to undergo National Eligibility and Entrance Test [NEET-UG] which will be conducted by the CBSE. Similarly, to avail engineering seats candidates will have to undergo Joint Entrance Examination [JEE-UG] which will be conducted by CBSE/ JEE Apex Board.
This new system will not affect the State’s quota or the special seats allotted to Sikkim with both remaining intact and continuing under the new system of conducting the exam. Allocation of seats will continue to be done by the HRD Department, the Minister informed and added that the extra state-wide merit list for these examinations will be made by the state.
Speaking further on the issue of the under graduate courses, Secretary HRDD, CS Rao informed that the NEET-UG examination will be held on 05 May, 2013 and candidates can register online [open from 01 to 30 December]. This will be a three-hour exam.
For the JEE-main exam online registration will be open from 08 November to 15 December and the hardcopy has to be submitted by 26 December, while the exams will be held on 08 and 25 April, 2013 [for online candidates] and on 07 April, 2013 [for offline candidates], he added.
The department will be setting up ten computers along with departmental officers at the HRDD complex to assist students in filling up the forms online, while the help of the Information Technology [IT] department has also been sought for this issue.
The office of CiBiN situated at Indira Bye Pass Road has also agreed to assist students in filling up the online form, he said and added that State Wide Area Network [SWAN] will be working in the respective BACs to help students. The Chairman, CBSE, after talks has also agreed to extend the time limit if necessary for Sikkim students.
There will be no loss to the seats allotted to Sikkim with this new system and reservation on merit will be done for allotment of seats. There is also a 15 per cent quota reservation for Sikkim students in reputed colleges and other Government of India colleges all over the country, he informed.