NEET 2020: Medical Colleges Admissions To Be Based on Common NEET Entrance Test

From the academic year 2020-21, a common National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate (UG) examination for the admissions into all medical colleges including AIIMS, JIPMER and PGI will be conducted as per the National Medical Commission Act 2019, confirmed government.

Harsh Vardhan union minister of health said, "The efforts of the Government are to constitute the NMC at the earliest so that some of the major reforms can be implemented from the coming academic year 2020-21."

"Efforts are being made to notify fee regulations with effect from the Academic year 2020-21 and advance action on this has already been initiated by the Board of Governors- Medical Council of India (BoG-MCI)," he said.

Earlier in September, the union health ministry notified the rules under Section 56 of the NMC Act, 2019. In the process of constituting the NMC, the government said that 23 nominations of Vice-Chancellor and 22 nominations from State Medical Council had been received.

"The Ministry has already invited applications for the posts of Chairperson of the Commission, Presidents and members of four Autonomous Boards, Members and Secretary of the Commission and the last date for submission of the applications is 18th October 2019," said Harsh Vardhan. "Presently 72 applications have been received, he further said.

Seeking sweeping reforms to medical education, opposed mainly by the medical fraternity, the NMC act enacted recently prepared to establish a regulatory body called the National Medical Commission in place of the tainted Medical Council of India (MCI).

AIIMS and JIPMER were Institutes of National Importance (INI) which were structured by a separate Act of Parliament. They used to conduct their national-level screening test to select students for admission to these colleges.