Lok Sabha Question No. 4839 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-01
Subject: National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Andimuthu Raja, M. K. Raghavan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4839 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01 st  APRIL, 2022

## NATIONAL ELIGIBILITY-CUM-ENTRANCE TEST

## 4839 SHRI A. RAJA: SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has received demands from various States/stakeholders to scrap the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance  Test  (NEET)  for  admission  to undergraduate  medical courses,  particularly  in  colleges that  are  fully  funded  by  the  State  Government  and  if  so, the details thereof and the response of the Government thereto;
- (b) whether the Government has initiated any study to understand the adverse impact of NEET on medical students, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether such a study has also been reviewed with the experts including psychologists and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d)  whether  existing  medical  education  facilities  inthe  country  doesn't  meet  the  aspirations  of large number of NEET candidates and if so, the steps being taken to redress the same; and
- (e)  whether  the  Government  plans  to  give  larger  say to  State  Governments  in  decision  on medical education in the country, if so, the details of steps being taken to redress the concerns of State Governments regarding NEET?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to  (e)  :  Section  14  of  the  National  Medical  Commission  (NMC)  Act,  2019  mandates  for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) to be conducted as a common/ uniform entrance test for admission to the undergraduate and postgraduate courses in all medical institutions in the country.  NEET  is  a  historic  reform  promoting  meritocracy  and  providing opportunity  to meritorious  students  to  get  admission  in  the  best  medical  institutions  in  the  country.  It  has resulted  in  curbing  malpractices  in  medical  admission,  greater  transparency  and  reducing  the burden on prospective students of appearing in multiple entrance exams.

NEET is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA). To help the students to practice well for NEET  (UG)  exam,  NTA  has  launched  a  Mobile  App  'National  Test  Abhyas' to  facilitate candidates' access to high quality mock tests online, free of cost. The syllabus of NEET (UG) is based on the syllabi of all the State Boards and National Boards.Question Papers are prepared taking the help of the State level Experts. Further, to enable the candidates from State Boards and rural areas to understand the questions properly, the Question Paper for NEET (UG) 2021 was set in different languages.

The number of UG seats have increased from 51,348 before 2014 to 89,875 seats which is an increase of 75%.

The Government has taken following steps to further increase the number of seats and colleges in the country :- i. Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  for  establishment  of  new  medical  college  by  upgrading district/ referral hospital under which 157 new medical colleges have been approved and 71 are already functional.

ii. Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening/ upgradation of existing State Government/Central Government Medical Colleges to increase MBBS and PG seats.

iii. Central Sector Scheme for upgradation of Government Medical Colleges by construction of  Super  Specialty  Blocks.  A  total  of  75  projects  have  been  approved  and  55  have  been completed.

iv. Under  Central  Sector  Scheme  for  setting  up  of  new  AIIMS,  22  AIIMS  have  been approved. Undergraduate courses have started in 19 AIIMS.

v. Relaxation in the norms for setting up of Medical College in terms of requirement for faculty, staff, bed strength and other infrastructure.

vi. DNB  qualification  has  been  recognized  for  appointment  as  faculty  to  take  care  of shortage of faculty.

vii. Enhancement  of  age  limit  for  appointment/  extension/  re-employment  against  posts  of teachers/dean/principal/ director in medical colleges upto 70 years.

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