Breaking News: No NExT Exam for 2019 MBBS batch, confirms Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

New Delhi: There will be no NExT exam for the 2019 MBBS batch and NExT exam will not replace the final exams- two major announcements were made by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today.

Responding to a query raised by a doctor/student, who pointed out the concerns of medicos regarding the National Exit Test (NExT) exam, the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently stated that there will be no NExT exam for the 2019 MBBS batch. However, no official notification has been released by the authorities in this regard yet.

During an event held at AIIMS Raipur, the Health Minister addressed the query raised by a doctor/student regarding the upcoming NExT examination and replied, "There is no need for students to take any stress. I am not bringing 2019 batch under the criteria of NExT. I will be bringing 2020 batch under the ambit of NExT. Therefore, there will be no NExT this year."

"Further, final exam will not be replaced with NExT, rather the NEET PG exam will be replaced with NExT and this will be linked to medical registration. So, doctors will get their degree but to practice they will have to clear NExT. Both the Government and the NMC will not take any decision that will cause confusion among the students," the Minister further added.

This announcement by the Union Health Minister implies that for the purpose of the degree, the final year MBBS will still be the benchmark. However, NExT will be acting as a licentiate exam required by doctors to practice in India and will also be replacing NEET-PG as the benchmark exam for PG medical entrance.

The statement from the Health Minister comes at a time when the MBBS students started protesting against the decision of the National Medical Commission (NMC) to hold NExT from the 2019 batch.

Also Read: #nonextfor2019batch: Protest Against National Exit Test Escalates

Opposing the decision of conducting the NExT exam for the 2019 MBBS batch the doctors/students termed it to be a violation of the NMC Act, 2019. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that opposing the exam, the doctors and medical students had expressed their opinions in this regard on social media platforms.

According to Section 49 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, "(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, any student who was studying for a degree, diploma or certificate in any medical institution immediately before the commencement of this Act shall continue to so study and complete his course for such degree, diploma or certificate, and such institution shall continue to provide instructions and examination for such student in accordance with the syllabus and studies as existed before such commencement, and such student shall be deemed to have completed his course of study under this Act and shall be awarded degree, diploma or certificate under this Act."