Medical common entrance test to include special category states: Govt

The test will be held as per schedule through NEET on May 1 and July 24

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), a single common entrance test for admission to MBBS and BDS courses which is slated to be held in two phases, will cover states like Jammu and Kashmir and Telangana which enjoy special category status, the government said Friday.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda in a statement tabled in the Lok Sabha today said that with the approval of central government, Medical Council of India (MCI) had notified NEET for admission to undergraduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) medical courses by amending Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997, and Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000, in 2010 for academic year 2012-13.
 
MCI issued a revised notification in 2012 to conduct the examination for the academic year 2013-14. The Supreme Court in its judgement in July 2013 had quashed the implementation of NEET, Nadda said.

"The government and MCI filed a review petition before the apex court. The review petitions were heard by the five-judge bench of the court," he added.

He said: "Further, via order dated April 28, 2016, the SC has allowed conduct of NEET (UG) in two phases. NEET extends in the entire country including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir for admission in UG and PG medical courses."

The Supreme Court in its order today said the entrance test for admission to MBBS and BDS courses for the academic year 2016-17 will be held as per schedule through NEET on May 1 and July 24.