NMC Notified NExT Regulations after taking 6500 comments into account: Health Minister in Parliament
New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) prepared the National Exit Test (NExT) Regulations, 2023 after considering around 6500 comments received during the consultation process and finally, the regulations were notified by NMC on 27.06.2023, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
The Health Minister further informed that the draft regulations were discussed and approved in the meeting of the NMC where Universities and State Medical Councils are also represented.
Apart from this, the Minister clarified before the Parliament that NExT will be a comprehensive computer-based examination based on high-quality multiple- choice questions (MCQ). NExT examination will serve as the Licentiate examination certifying medical graduates to register and practice medicine and India. Further, it will also serve as the entrance examination for admission to Postgraduate medical courses.
The Minister was responding to a number of questions raised in the Rajya Sabha regarding the NExT exam. He was asked if the Government is aware about the protests against the NExT examination in Tamil Nadu, where the students demanded withdrawal of the examination.
Further, he was also questioned about the pattern of the examination, and if there were discussions held with all the stakeholders including State Government before conducting NExT examination.
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In response to these queries, Minister Mandaviya informed, "The National Medical Commission (NMC) notified the NExT Regulations, 2023 on 27.06.2023. The Regulations was prepared after taking into consideration the large number (nearly 6500) of comments received during the consultation process. The draft regulations was discussed and approved in the meeting of the NMC where Universities and State Medical Councils are also represented."
"There were apprehensions raised by students including those in Tamil Nadu which were taken into consideration and the NExT has been deferred vide Public Notice dated 13.07.2023," he further stated.
Addressing the queries regarding the pattern of the examination, the Health Minister answered, "NExT will be a comprehensive computer-based examination based on high-quality multiple- choice questions (MCQ) focused on addressing higher domains of knowledge aligned to competencies expected of a medical graduate practicing modern system of medicine."
The Minister further clarified that the National Exit Test (NExT) is the basis of :
(i) Certifying the eligibility of the medical graduate to register to practice the modern system of medicine in India and therefore serve as a Licentiate Examination.
(ii) Determining the eligibility and ranking for the purpose of admission of those desirous of pursuing further Postgraduate Medical Education in the country in broad medical specialities and therefore serve as an entrance Examination for admission to courses of Postgraduate Medical Education, including for admission of foreign medical graduates.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that NMC NExT Regulations, 2023, were published in the official Gazette on June 28, 2023. "These Regulations shall come into force at once from the date of their publication in the official Gazette," mentioned the apex medical commission.
In fact, a mock test for NExT exam was scheduled to be held on July 28 and it was decided that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi would conduct the mock test.
However, opposing the decision of conducting the NExT exam for the 2019 batch, the students and doctors termed it to be a violation of the NMC Act, 2019. Referring to the 2019 Act, the doctors pointed out that the 2019 MBBS batch started on August 1, 2019, i.e. the batch started before the publication of the NMC Act 2019. Therefore, the doctors argued that conducting NExT for the 2019 batch would be a violation of the NMC Act 2019.
Even though NMC had announced that the NExT exam would be implemented from the 2019 MBBS batch, the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced at an event at AIIMS Raipur that there will be no NExT Exam for the 2019 MBBS Batch and the exam will not replace the final MBBS examinations.
Consequently, on the basis of the directions and advice of the Union Health Ministry, NMC deferred the NExT examination until further notice from the Ministry. "All the stakeholders are hereby informed that the National Exit Test (NExT) examination is deferred on the advice of the Ministry, dated 11.07.2023, till further directions from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare," stated the letter issued by NMC Secretary Dr. Pulkesh Kumar.
However, the notification issued by NMC did not address the issue of conducting NExT for the 2019 MBBS Batch and did not give any clarity regarding conducting NExT in the coming few years.
Later, the NExT mock test scheduled to be held on July 28, 2023, was also cancelled and since then there has been no intimation from the side of the NMC regarding the issue of conducting NExT, the common exit cum licentiate examination.
To view the reply by Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, click on the link below:
https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/next-mansukh-mandaviya-216060.pdf
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