New Delhi: Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to conduct the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) for the Academic Year 2017-18 in 10 languages but has kept the Urdu out of this important test. It seems to be a selective discrimination of particular language by the ministry even after several representations.

SIO of India filed a petition and requested SC to hear the plea of urgency motion as 01/03/2017 is the deadline to fill the NEET application, SC refused the plea of urgency and listed the case to 03/03/2017.

On 3rd march 2017, a bench of Justice Kurian Joseph and R Banumathi issued notice to Centre and MCI seeking their response on why National Eligibility cum Entrance test is not conducted in Urdu language which is sixth most spoken language in the country.

Again, on 10th March 10, 2017, Centre submits before SC and argued that it is open to idea of conducting NEET exam in Urdu language from next session; not 2017, and said when meeting was conducted on 22nd November 2016 with state ministers, no state represented to conduct in Urdu later they asked for inclusion of Urdu in NEET 2017, till then notification was issued.

Ravinder S Garia advocate of SIO when argued for inclusion of urdu in NEET 2017, SC ordered Centre to submit their affidavit and the next hearing will be on 24th March 2017.

SIO’s counsel informed Court that Maharashtra and Telangana have already apprised the MCI that Urdu be included as one of the medium for conducting NEET, before the release of notification, also many representations was given to the MCI and minister for inclusion of Urdu in NEET 2017.

Why Urdu is Necessary in NEET?

In terms of number of people speaking a language Urdu ranks Sixth in India as the per the Census report. A large number of students study science in Urdu Medium for their Eleventh and 12th Class Exams. N.C.E.R.T text books for Eleventh and 12th class are available in Urdu, when such text books are not available in several other languages such as Kannada.

The seventh most spoken language Gujarati, eighth most spoken language Kannada, tenth most spoken Language Oriya and Twelfth most spoken language Assamese have been given as options of medium for appearing in the said Entrance Exam but Urdu which is at the sixth rank has been arbitrarily excluded.

Exclusion of Urdu as medium is highly detrimental to students across the country who received their secondary and higher secondary education in Urdu language.

—SIO

It is further pertinent to mention taking note of the fact that a large number of students study science in Urdu Medium in States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana etc., despite several State Governments making specific requests to the Union Health Ministry to include Urdu as a medium for National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2017, Urdu has arbitrarily and unreasonably left out as a medium for the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2017.

SIO feels that exclusion of Urdu as medium is highly detrimental to students across the country who received their secondary and higher secondary education in Urdu language. They are suddenly confronted with having to either appear in language which they did not undertake their secondary education in or not appear at all.

Speakers:

• Mr. Ravindra Garia, Advocate Supreme Court
• Mr. Nahas Mala, President, SIO of India
• Mr. Inamurrahman, Coordinator, FMEI
• Mr. Inamullah Falahi, National Secretary, Jamaate Islami Hind
• Jointly Organised by, Students Islamic Organisation of India, Federation of Muslim Educational Institutions and Centre for Educational Research & Training (CERT)