Yes-AIIMS entrance will be merged with NEET from 2020, confirms Health Minsiter

New Delhi: Confirming that All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) entrance will be merged with National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) from 2020-21 onwards, the Union Minister of State of Health and Family welfare stated that the move will ensure a common standard of medical education in the country and the students will not have to appear in multiple exams.

MOS Health, Shri Ashwani Kumar Choubey informed about the same to the Lok Sabha while responding to a question raised by Lok Sabha MP Shrimati Sajda Ahmad. The MP also raised question about NEET serving as the basis for practice and admission into post- graduate courses at medical institutions for the student passed from foreign country.

Through a written reply, Choubey confirmed that there will be common entrance to UG medical admissions from 2020-21 onwards

"Section 14 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 provides for holding of a common and uniform National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to the undergraduate medical courses in all medical institutions including those governed under any other law. Thus, the admission to MBBS course in Institutes being governed under separate Acts of Parliament including AIIMS will be made through NEET from the academic year 2020-21 onwards," he stated.

"This will ensure a common standard of medical education in the country and the students will not have to appear in multiple exams," he added.

On the issue of NEET PG, he informed that Section 15 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 provides for holding of a Common Final Year MBBS to be known as National Exit Test (NEXT) for registration to practice medicine and admission to PG medical courses. Further, any person with a foreign medical qualification shall have to qualify NEXT for the purpose of obtaining licence to practice medicine as medical practitioner.

Another question was raised regarding the lateral entry to MBBS, with the MP also questioning whether the Government proposes to provide licenses to community health providers to practice medicine.

"No such proposal is pending with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare," replying to the question on lateral entry to MBBS,

At the same time , on the issue of licence to community health providers to practice medicine, he stated that Section 32 of the NMC Act, 2019 prescribes that the Commission may grant limited licence to practice medicine at mid-level as Community Health Provider to such person connected with modern scientific medical profession in accordance with the qualifying criteria to be specified by the Commission in the regulations. Further, the Community Health Providers may prescribe specified medicine independently, only in primary and preventive healthcare, but in cases other than primary and preventive healthcare, they may prescribe medicine only under the supervision of registered medical practitioners.