NEET UG to be conducted only once a year: Govt tells Lok Sabha

The Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pravin Pawar today clarified in the Lok Sabha that there is no proposal to conduct NEET UG twice in a year. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (UG) is currently conducted once in a year as an eligibility/ entrance test for medical courses in India by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

This clarification was in response to a question raised in the Lok Sabha which asked the government if the authorities are willing or planning to follow JEE Main’s exam pattern and schedule NEET UG twice a year to reduce the exam stress and anxiety of medical aspirants. “Whether the Government proposes to conduct NEET UG examination on the pattern of JEE (Mains) to provide two chances in a year to save NEET aspirants from stress and depression in cracking the difficult competition in single attempt only or lose one precious year,” Ramesh Chand Bind, a member of the Lok Sabha, asked.

Pawar then clarified that the “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”.

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He also added that the government believes NEET has helped curb malpractices in the medical field around the country. “NEET is a historic reform promoting meritocracy and providing opportunity to meritorious students to get admission in the best medical institutions in the country. It has resulted in curbing malpractices in medical admission, greater transparency and reducing the burden on prospective students of appearing in multiple entrance exams,” Pawar explained.

He also added that the syllabus of NEET UG is based on the syllabi of all the state boards and national boards.