Minister answers Parliament on conduct of NEET, NEET PG 2021

New Delhi: Clarifying on the conduct of the upcoming NEET and NEET PG 2021, the Health Ministry had recently stated that there are no plans to suspend the entrance examinations due to COVID-19 pandemic situation and imminent danger of third wave.

The NEET PG and NEET UG 2021 examinations are scheduled to be held on 11th September 2021 and 12th September 2021 respectively. The medical entrance exams had been postponed several times before in view of the pandemic and the candidates had been knocking on the doors of the government offices and authorities seeking clarity on the conduction of the exams.

While the application window for NEET was activated by National Testing Agency (NTA) a few days along with the release of the information bulletin, the National Board of Examination (NBE) issued the exam date for NEET PG.

Now, during a recent Lok Sabha session, Dr T Sumathy MP asked about the details of the SoP on safety to be followed in providing life safety and health security to students, teachers and staff of educational institutions in case the Government wish to conduct examinations in schools and educational institutions in the coming months.

Replying to the query, the MoS Health Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the parliament that the examination shall be conducted with all due precautions and following all protocols including maintaining COVID appropriate behaviour. Further, the following additional protective measures for the candidates and examination personnel are proposed for the safe conduct of the exam:

1. The number of Examination Centers have been increased across the country to avoid crowding and long travel by the candidates.

2. Admit cards being issued to the candidates will bear a Covid e-pass for facilitating easy movement of the candidates.

3. Staggered entry and exit of candidates from Exam Centers.

4. All candidates will be checked at the entry point for the recording of temperature. Candidates detected with above normal temperature, will be allowed to take the examination in a separate isolation lab-created for this purpose.

5. Use of face masks shall be compulsory for the candidates and they will be provided with a protective gear safety kit comprising of a face shield, a face mask and hand sanitizer.

6. Measures will be taken to control the crowd outside the examination center.

Committed to the smooth and safe conduct of the NEET PG 2021 examination, the National Board of Examinations will hold the entrance test for admission to 10,821 Master of Surgery (MS) seats, 19,953 Doctor of Medicine (MD) seats, and 1,979 PG Diploma seats offered by 6,102 government, private, deemed and central universities.

NEET-PG is an eligibility-cum-ranking examination prescribed as the single entrance examination for admission to various MD/MS and PG Diploma Courses as per Section 61(2) of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 read with 10 (D) of Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. No other entrance examination, either at the state or the Institution level, shall be valid for entry to MD/MS/PG Diploma courses. Qualifying NEET-PG is mandatory for entry to MD/MS/PG Diploma courses under various Universities/ Institutions in the country. NEET PG is mandatory even for foreign nationals seeking admission in medical courses in India.

Through NEET-UG, candidates will be granted admission to 83,075 MBBS, 26,949 BDS, 52,720 AYUSH, 525 BVSc and AH seats. The admission to 1,899 AIIMS and 249 JIPMER MBBS seats will be through NEET 2021. 

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