National Conference MPs on Thursday cautioned the J&K Government against participating in All India Quota (AIQ) for admission to PG courses and proposed 50 percent (MD/MS/Diploma/PG DNB) in AIQ under NEET, saying the measure will expose J&K students to a greater disadvantage as compared to their counterparts from other States because of being socially and educationally backward.

In a joint statement Party Members of Parliament Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Muhammad Akbar Lone, and Hassnain Masoodi taking note of the perceived hardship to the J&K students due to the pooling of 15% of its MBBS seats in AIQ and 50% seat-sharing for PG Medical courses after NEET, noted with great concern that the decisions will impact aspirants in J&K more gravely as compared to its consequences for other States.

“The proposition exposes J&K aspirants to greater disadvantage as compared to their counterparts from other States. J&K is socially and educationally backward. A large number of students do not have access to schools equipped with modern tools of education. This apart, more than 90 percent of the students pass higher secondary examinations through the State Board of School Education. There are only a few thousand students who pass the eligibility examination through CBSE. NEET, as stated, is CBSE syllabus based and the bulk of aspirants from the State, therefore, do not stand a chance to get selected for MBBS and BDS graduate and postgraduate courses,” the MPs stated.

The MPs underscored that a more serious reason to oppose NEET is on account of it being incongruous with the J&K constitution, as the decisions of August 5, 2019, are still impending required constitutional validation from the constitutional bench.

“Any such decision will undermine the constitutional propriety and anticipate the outcome of the final verdict of the constitutional bench,” they added.

The MPs held that the importance of J&K people as stakeholders in taking such decisions through popularly elected governments cannot be undermined or replaced by an un-elected incumbent administration at the helm of affairs in J&K.

“Earlier J&K has been retaining all its seats for local students by opting out of AIQ. But the incumbent un-elected administration has chosen to open up the seats for students from outside. This we believe will further choke the already scant avenues for J&K youth. It will prove detrimental to the interests of our youth and jeopardize their future. The decision will also have a cascading effect in terms of depleting employment avenues of our educated and skilled youth in J&K and furthermore lead to brain drain. Opting for AIQ, it goes without saying, will escalate the brimming alienation in J&K youth, who are already facing onslaught on their job avenues,” the MPs rued.