Lok Sabha Question No. 829 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-26
Subject: NExT Examination
Ministry: AYUSH
Asked by: Shri Sukhdeo Bhagat

† 829 Shri Sukhdeo Bhagat:

## Will the Minister of AYUSH

be pleased to state:

(a) whether  a  certain  set  of  rules  are  being  applied  for  the  students  of  the  same session in the notification of National Exit Test (NExT) examination issued by the National Commission For Indian System of Medicine (NCISM);

- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  these  rules  are  also  being  applied  on  the  students  of  the  old  session whereas NCISM had earlier planned to implement it from the new session that the National Homeopathic Commission had also confirmed in this regard;
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether any action is  being  taken  by  the  NCISM  against  those  colleges  whose more than 50 percent students fail to qualify in the NExT examination released by NCISM; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a), (b), (c) and (d)

The  National  Commission  for  Indian  System  of  Medicine  Act,  2020  has  a  provision  for National Exit Test (NeXT) under the Section 15 of the said Act. The provisions of sub-section (3)  of  Section  15  of  the  aforesaid  Act,  stipulates  that  "The  National  Exit  Test  shall  become operational on such date, within three years from the date on which this Act comes into force, as may be appointed by the Central Government, by notification".

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.829

## ANSWERED ON 26.07. 2024

## NExT Examination

As per the provisions of sub-section (2) of Section 15 of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine notified a Regulation on 20.12.2023 namely, 'The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (National Examinations for Indian System of Medicine) Regulations, 2023'. The said Regulation specifies  the  manner  of  conducting  National  Exit  Test  for  the  interns  who  have  completed minimum two hundred and seventy days of internship as on closing date of the submission of the application for National Exit Test or for the graduates of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and SowaRigpa who have completed one-year compulsory internship. Further, the National Exit Test shall be held for granting license to practice as medical practitioner of respective discipline of Indian System of Medicine and for enrolment in the State Register or National Register as a registered medical practitioner. The examination shall be  problem based to test the clinical  competency, understanding  of  medical  ethics  and  the  ability  to  deal  with  medico-legal  cases  as  a  medical practitioner  of  Indian  System  of  Medicine  and  the  same  shall  be  conducted  ordinarily  in  the month of February and August every year. There shall not be any limit to appear in the National Exit  Test.  The  graduate  degree  of  the  candidate  who  could  not  qualify  the  National  Exit  Test shall  be  considered  for  all  other  job  opportunity  and  other  educational  programme  or  course where medical registration is not mandatory.

Accordingly, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine has published Guidelines on 04.07.2024 for conducting the National Exit Test, which is mandatory for all those who have commenced their internship on or after 20.12.2023 (irrespective of year of admission or batch) i.e.  the  date  of  notification  of  National  Commission  for  Indian  System  of  Medicine  (National Examinations for Indian System of Medicine) Regulations, 2023.

(e) and (f) since no National Exit Test has been conducted yet by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine, the question does not arise.

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