NEET UG twice a year 'not feasible', NMC tells AISU

NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) in a response to a demand made by the All India Student’s Union (AISU) said that it is “not feasible to conduct NEET UG exam twice”. The commission said holding the single-largest medical exam, NEET, twice a year will put undue burden on the government exchequer.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on May 10 in a letter to the National Testing Agency (NTA) requested to hold the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for MBBS, BDS admission twice a year after receiving representation from a AISU member.

In response, on June 26, the NMC said that “all MBBS seats get filled in one counselling and no seats remain vacant for which the need of conducting NEET exam twice doesn’t arise”.

The AISU in a tweet said: “Received response from NMC on our representation requesting NEET UG to be conducted twice a year. Their reply highlights financial challenges and burden on government resources. Response is disappointing.”

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However after due deliberation the Undergraduate Medical Education Board has relaxed the upper age limit for NEET UG 2023 aspirants in Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2023 (GMER 2023), the commission said.

“NEET exam involves a huge amount of money and other resources and thereby holding the examination may put an undue burden on the government exchequer,” it said.

This year, a total of 20,38,596 medical aspirants appeared for the exam, out of which only 11,45,976 students (56.21%) qualified the NEET exam. Every year, on an average 18 lakh students write the NEET UG 2023 exam; the single-largest entrance exam in India and also considered as one of the toughest entrance exams.