NMC Rejects Demand To conduct NEET Twice A Year

New Delhi: Conducting National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) examination twice a year is not feasible, the National Medical Commission recently informed the All India Students Union (AISU).

In a recent letter directed to the association, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of NMC has pointed out that conducting NEET examination requires a huge amount of money and it may put undue burden on the government exchequer.

However, the NMC UG Board pointed out that since there is no upper age bar for appearing in the common entrance examination for admission to undergraduate medical courses.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that writing to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had requested the agency for holding the centralized undergraduate medical entrance examination twice a year.

Such a move from NCPCR came after Navneet Singh, a member of the All India Students Union (AISU) had submitted an application to the Commission demanding that NEET-UG should be conducted twice a year.

Also Read: National Commission for Protection of Child Rights Requests NTA to Hold NEET Twice a Year

Referring to the AISU letter, the principal personal secretary to NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo, Dharmendra Bhandari mentioned in the letter directed to NTA, “The commission has received a complaint on Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) from Navneet Singh, AISU member. According to the complaint, conducting NEET UG twice a year would be a big relief for aspirants. If candidates do not get medical seats in the first attempt, then they will have another opportunity to try and get the seats. This will save students from waiting for an entire one year and the students who will be able to score better marks will get admission in good medical colleges.”

However, now the UG Board of NMC has clarified that conducting NEET-UG twice a year is not feasible. In the letter directed to AISU, UGMEB mentioned, "I am directed to refer to your letter dated 10.05.2023 regarding the subject cited above and to say that after due deliberation the Under Graduate Medical Education Board has relaxed the upper age bar for NEET aspirants in Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2023, available on NMC's website."

"Further, it is to inform that all the MBBS seats got filled during this one counselling and no seat remain vacant for which need of conducting the said exam twice doesn't arise. Also, NEET examination involves huge amount of money and other resources and thereby holding the said exam may put undue burden on government exchequer," the Apex medical commission pointed out in the letter.

"In view of the above, it is not feasible for the Commission to hold this exam twice a year. However, NEET aspirants are now free to appear next year in exam as upper age bar has already been removed," the letter by UGMEB Director Shambhu Sharan Kumar further stated.

Sharing the response from NMC on Twitter, AISU mentioned in a Tweet, "Response is disappointing."

The speculation regarding NEET being conducted twice a year has been going on for the last few years. Medical Dialogues had reported back in 2021 that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) had reportedly given its approval to hold NEET twice a year on the lines of JEE Mains. It was being speculated that this effect would come to pass from NEET 2021 itself.