From 2020 academic year, medical admission aspirants will have to sit for a single entrance examination for getting a seat in medical colleges across India. Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan announced today the NEET or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, which replaced the All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) in 2013, will come to force as the only entrance test for medical admission from next academic year. Till 2019-20 academic year, there were two other entrance examinations which were held nationally, AIIMS MBBS entrance test and JIPMER MBBS entrance test. The announcement comes after the enactment of National Medical Commission Act.
With the country is going to have single entrance test for all the undergraduate MBBS admissions, students will also have the benefit of a single counselling window for all the all India admission, which is expected to be under the new National Medical Commission as espoused in the new act.
Apart from this, counselling for all the seats which come under various states' quota will be managed by the state-level counselling committees.
Currently, admissions to all medical colleges except All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) and JIPMER (Jawaharlal Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research) are done through the NEET.
NEET 2020: From next academic year onwards, AIIMS MBBS entrance test will cease to exist.
While, currently, though the AIIMS MBBS, the admission process is done for more than 10 AIIMSs across India, JIPMER AIIMS counselling is done for the seats available the campuses of Puducherry-based medical institute.
"The common national entrance test -- NEET -- applicable to institutes of national importance like AIIMS and JIPMER and common counselling for MBBS, as per the National Medical Commission Act, will come into force from the next academic year (2020).
"This will help set common standards in medical education sector in the country," Dr. Vardhan said.
Last year, more than 15 candidates had registered for the NEET while about 2 lakh appeared for the AIIMS MBBS. Over 1.4 lakh students appeare for JIPMER MBBS in 2019.
NEET 2020: From next academic year onwards, JIPMER MBBS entrance test will cease to exist
This year, the online application process for NEET will begin on December 2, 2019 and conclude on December 31, 2019. The National Testing Agency or NTA, the government examination conducting body came to form in 2017, will be conducting the NEET test.
The downloading of admit cards for NEET 2020 will begin on March 27, 2020. The NEET exam is scheduled on May 3, 2020. The result for NEET UG will be released on June 4 next year.
The National Medical Commission Act, 2019 provides for common national entrance test - NEET - along with common counselling for MBBS, and a common final year MBBS exam which will be applicable to all institutes including those of national importance like AIIMS.
According to the NMC Act, the NEXT results would be the base for admission to PG courses and to obtain licence to practice. It would also act as a screening test for foreign medical graduates.
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