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

New Delhi: Amid the demands from students for holding the National-Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) twice a year, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has also expressed similar opinions in this regard.

Writing to the National Testing Agency (NTA) in this regard, the Commission has requested the agency for holding the centralized undergraduate medical entrance examination twice a year.

This comes after recently Navneet Singh, a member of the All India Students Union (AISU) submitted an application to the Commission in this regard demanding that NEET-UG should be conducted twice a year.

In the letter dated May 9, 2023, NCPCR requested NTA, the agency in charge of conducting the NEET-UG examination, to take suitable action in this regard and informed about the same to AISU member Navneet Singh.

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.”

Also Read: All India JEE-NEET Student Association urges AIIMS, AFMC, JIPMER, CMC Vellore to conduct NEET, demands exam twice a year

As per the latest media report by Careers 360, apart from NCPCR, AISU has also sent a representation to the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Union Education Ministry, and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on behalf of NEET UG aspirants and their parents.

NEET UG 2023 was conducted on May 7, 2023 throughout the country for admission to undergraduate medical, dental, AYUSH, and other courses. NTA held the exam this year for more than 20 lakh candidates.

However, AISU has alleged that the practice of holding NEET UG only once a year puts “immense pressure on the students to perform well in a single attempt”. Further, it also “leads to a high level of stress and anxiety among the students, which affects their mental health.”

Therefore, the Association has urged the authorities to hold NEET twice a year as it opined that it would be a "big relief for aspirants". AISU opined that the chance of appearing in NEET twice a year will provide the students with better opportunity and prepare well for the examination. They will also have a better chance to secure a seat in the medical colleges.

“It often happens that after an unsuccessful attempt in NEET, candidates either take admission to another course that they do not prefer and simultaneously prepare for NEET for the next year or drop a year to prepare better and appear for the exam again. With two attempts, they will be able to save an academic year and take admission to a college and course of their choice,” the association mentioned in the letter.

AISU has suggested holding NEET twice with a gap of 40-50 days and opined that it will change the entire system, making it better for the students and medical fraternity.

Medical dialogues had earlier reported that All India JEE-NEET Student Association (AIJNSA) has also been demanding that the NEET examination should be held twice a year.

Apart from this, writing to the premier medical institutes such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), and Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore, the association has also suggested that these institutes should take the responsibility of conducting NEET-UG following the pattern of JEE-Advanced that is conducted by all IITs.

Referring to its campaign for conducting NEET twice a year, AIJNSA has mentioned, "NEET-UG should be conducted twice a year because it will provide a fair chance to deserving candidates who are unable to secure a seat in their desired course or institution due to the limited number of government seats available."

"Additionally, conducting NEET-UG in two phases can reduce the pressure and mental stress on students, thereby enabling them to perform well without worrying about the consequences of failure," the association further mentioned.

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.

However, in the recent reply before the Lok Sabha, the Union MoS Health Dr. Bharati Pravin has dismissed all such speculations regarding NEET being held two times every year.

The clarification came from the Union Minister of State for Health while she was responding to a series of questions related to NEET, raised by MP Shri Ramesh Chand Bind. Referring to the stress and depression suffered by the NEET aspirants who are finding it difficult to clear NEET in a single attempt, Minister Bind had questioned the Union Health Ministry if there is any proposal on the part of the Government to conduct NEET UG Examination twice a year on the pattern of JEE (Mains).

"National Medical Commission (NMC) & National Testing Agency (NTA) have informed that there is no proposal to conduct NEET UG exams for providing two chances in a year," clarified the MoS Health.

Also Read: No proposal from NMC, NTA to conduct NEET twice a year: MoS Health