Know About National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Under Graduate (NEET (UG)), succeeded from All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) is an entrance examination in India for students who wish to study undergraduate medical courses (MBBS) and dental courses (BDS) in government or private medical colleges and dental colleges in India. The undergraduate NEET (UG), for MBBS and BDS courses, is currently conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which provides the results to the Directorate General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Prior to 2019, the test was administered by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in partnership with Prometric Testing Pvt Ltd headquartered in the USA. NEET-UG replaced the All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) and all individual MBBS exams conducted by states or colleges themselves in 2013. However, many colleges and institutes had taken a stay order and conducted private examinations for admission to their MBBS and BDS courses.

NEET-UG is a single entrance test for admissions to more than 66,000 MBBS and BDS seats across India. In the 2018 NEET exam, around 80% of the candidates wrote the exam in English, 11% in Hindi, 4.31% in Gujarati, 3% in Bengali, and 1.86% in Tamil. Entrance exams to Undergraduate courses at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) were included in NEET in the academic year 2020 and onwards by the Government of India.

NEET was initially proposed to take place from 2012 onwards. However, for several reasons, the CBSE and Medical Council of India deferred NEET by a year. The test was announced by the Government of India and was held for the first time on 5 May 2013 across India for students seeking admission for both Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medicine. On 18 July 2013, SC gave the decision in favor of 115 petitions and canceled the NEET exam and announced that MCI could not interfere with the admission process done by colleges.

Following the announcement from the Medical Council of India that it would introduce the NEET-UG exam in 2012, several states including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu strongly opposed the change, stating that there was a huge variation in the syllabus proposed by the MCI and their state syllabi. Even though NEET 2016 is conducted in English and Hindi, it was announced that students can write exams in Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese and Gujarati languages from 2017 onwards. Kannada, Odia languages are added to the list so that students can write the exams in nine Indian languages and English. The Supreme Court of India quashed the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admissions into all medical and dental colleges on 18 July 2013. The apex court ruled that the Medical Council of India cannot conduct a unified examination.

According to a 2013 announcement by CBSE, CBSE planned to conduct AIPMT on 4 May 2014. The final decision on NEET UG was planned to be taken after the verdict of the Supreme Court of India.

The Central Board of Secondary Education announces the results and the All India Merit List for NEET-UG. The merit list and the wait-list are prepared as per the directives of the Supreme Court of India, DGHS, MCI, and DCI. The results for 2013 were announced on 5 June.

NEET was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of India in 2013. However, it was restored on 11 April 2016, after a five-judge Constitution bench recalled the earlier verdict and allowed the Central Government and the Medical Council of India (MCI) to implement the common entrance test until the court decides afresh on its validity.

Phase One Test

The All India Pre Medical Test, also known as AIPMT, held on 1 May 2016, was considered as the first phase of the NEET. Students who registered for Phase One were given a chance to appear for the next phase of NEET held on 24 July 2016, but with a condition that candidates have to give up their NEET Phase 1 score. The above dates are as per the order of the Supreme Court.

Exam pattern and structure

There are questions asked from Physics, Chemistry, Botany & Zoology. There are 45 questions from each of the sections. A correct response gives the candidate 4 marks and 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer. No marks are deducted if the candidate has not attempted a question. The total time duration is of 3 hours.

Syllabus

NEET UG syllabus consists of concepts taught in standard 11 and 12 in the Indian School Systems. (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, And Maths)

Organizing Body

NEET-UG is currently conducted (2019 and onwards) by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Formerly, it was conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education, from 2013 to 2018.

The journey of NEET

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), was first proposed by theMedical Council of India and the Dental Council of India in 2012, as a call to standardize entrance examinations all over the country for admission to medical courses. The exam was delayed by a year, though it was initially proposed to start in 2012.

Due to various reasons, initially, several states, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, opposed it. The common reason quoted by these states was that there was a huge difference in the syllabus of the state board and central board. In 2013, the Supreme court of India imposed a stay on NEET exams and called it unconstitutional.

Rise of NEET Coaching Centres:

Later in 2016, the apex court reviewed its order and said that students planning to pursue Undergraduate medical courses should apply and appear for NEET. The parliament gave a nod to Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which meant admission to private and state-run universities and colleges to take place based on NEET. Due to this, there’s a boom in this new course; students are looking for the best NEET coaching center in various places.

Is it true that NEET reduces the state quotas?

No, NEET doesn’t affect any of the state quotas, and they remain the same. The previously adopted practice of 85% of seats for candidates from that state and the remaining 15% percent to be filled by the central pool remains the same.

The only change is private colleges cannot sell their seats in the open market, and they will have to admit students only based on their NEET eligibility.

Until 2017, NEET was offered only in two languages- Hindi and English. But after several states pointed out the linguistic barrier, the NEET exam is offered in 10 languages.

What is the syllabus of NEET?

Though it was propagated that NEET was based on CBSE syllabus, MCI has framed the syllabus considering all the state syllabi along with NCERT. It’s a common syllabus, and the exam is being conducted by the National Testing Agency[NTA].