Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir has decided to continue the selection process for medical graduate and post-graduate courses through its Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE), trashing the Medical Council of India (MCI) proposal to conduct the national eligibility-cum-entrance test (NEET).

The state's Minister for Medical Education R.S. Chibb told some newsmen here on Tuesday that a communication in this regard has already been sent to the union government.

The minister said it was not in the interest of the candidates of Jammu and Kashmir to do away with the BOPEE, which had been created through a legislation passed by the state legislature.

"Whatever happens in the rest of the country, BOPEE will continue to conduct such examinations in our state," the minister said.

The MCI had issued a notification on December 21, 2010, for conducting NEET for admissions to graduate and post-graduate medical and dental courses in the country. It sought to introduce NEET for MBBS and post-graduate admissions and fixed 50 percent marks as cut-off for being eligible to appear in the entrance examination.

The MCI notification also said it would abide by the reservation norms as applicable in various states for such courses.

But the union health ministry struck down the MCI notification, calling it "invalid as the MCI had gone ahead without consulting it".

Sources here said the union health ministry has asked the MCI to present the proposal of NEET during the two-day conference of state health ministers in Hyderabad later this month so that all states are taken on board on the issue and a decision subsequently taken. IANS