NEET unessential for admission to Naturopathy and Yoga course in Karnataka

NEW DELHI, March 26: Karnataka Examination Board (KEA), through an official notification, has announced that admission to Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yoga systems (BYNS) course this year will be taken on the basis of Common Entrance Test (CET) conducted by KEA. Candidates interested in taking admission to the said course are required to apply till March 27, 2019, specified the official notice. The application fee for the same can be paid online until March 29, 2019. Last year, due to the uncertainty about National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), as many as 299 seats remained vacant out of which the maximum number of seats were in BYNS course in the state of Karnataka. Earlier through a directive issued by the ministry of AYUSH, NEET had been made mandatory for admission to all AYUSH courses. Candidates can check the official notices here

NEET for AYUSH courses

As per the officials, the decision has been taken on the grounds of absence of an apex body to regulate the admission to BYNS course. The previous year, NEET was made compulsory for admission but after an appeal from the private colleges in Karnataka, non-NEET candidates were also admitted to the courses. For the upcoming academic session, admission to other AYUSH courses remains through NEET. Even in the state, admission to other courses like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy, NEET is still mandatory. Speaking to a national daily, Meenakshi Negi, director, AYUSH department, Karnataka, said, “As we have received communication from the union ministry, writing NEET for yoga and naturopathy courses has been waived off, but CET has been made mandatory here in the state.”

Seats lying vacant

In the year 2018, the seats in various AYUSH courses were left vacant which were later filled by candidates who did not qualify NEET. Due to a minuscule percentage of eligible candidates for such courses, the seats remained vacant. Reportedly, 72 seats in Ayurveda, 74 seats in Homeopathy, 12 seats in Unani were left vacant. There were only a few takers of seats in private medical colleges and thus the Federation of private Ayurveda medical colleges and hospitals had to plead the state government to relax the rules to allow admission of non-NEET candidates.