There is no proposal to abolish NEET exam, the Health ministry told the Parliament today. Junior Health minister in the Central government, Ashwini Kumar Choubey was responding to questions asked by a Member in the Upper House today. The minister also said that various regulations by Medical Council of India and National Medical Commission Act along with the Supreme Court rulings mandate a national level medical entrance and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET has led to greater transparency and reduced the burden on prospective students of appearing in multiple entrance exams.
Before the enactment of National Medical Commission act, according to the minister, the Section 10 D of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 prescribed conducting of a uniform entrance examination namely National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) to all medical educational institutions at undergraduate and post-graduate level.
The provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 for conducting NEET apply across the country without any exemption to any State.
"NEET has resulted in ensuring better and minimum standards of medical education, curbing malpractices in medical admission, led to greater transparency and reduced the burden on prospective students of appearing in multiple entrance exams," the minister said.
"Further, the Hon'ble Supreme Court vide order dated 11.04.2016 in R.P. 2159-2268 of 2013 in T.C. (c) 98 of 2013 had allowed conducting of NEET. Further, the apex court vide order dated 09.05.2016 also ruled that only NEET would enable students to get admission to MBBS or BDS studies,: Mr Choubey said.
In addition, in the draft National Medical Commission Bill, there was a provision for NEET.
The minister said that some objections were made by some States against this provision before the Departmental related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare.
The Standing Committee took cognizance of these observations and after due consideration recommended in its 109th Report on NMC Bill 2017 to conduct a uniform National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admission to the undergraduate medical education in all medical institutions.
"Subsequently, the Parliament has deliberated upon the Bill and passed the NMC Act along with the provision of NEET and the Act has been enacted on 8th August 2019," the minister added.
Click here for more Education News
