NMC Explains Why NEET UG Can’t Be Held Twice A Year

In response to the All India Student's Union's (AISU) demand, the National Medical Commission (NMC) stated that it is "not feasible to conduct the NEET UG exam twice." According to the panel, holding the single-largest medical exam, NEET, twice a year will place an unfair load on the government's coffers.

After receiving representation from an AISU member, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) requested in a letter to the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 10 to hold the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for MBBS, BDS admission twice a year. On June 26, the NMC responded, saying that "all MBBS seats are filled in one counselling, and no seats remain vacant for which the need to conduct the NEET exam twice does not arise."

However, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board, after careful consideration, has decreased the upper age limit for NEET UG 2023 candidates in the Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2023 (GMER 2023), according to the commission. "The NEET exam requires a significant amount of money and other resources, and thus holding the examination may place an undue burden on the government exchequer," it stated.

This year, a total of 20,38,596 medical aspirants took the NEET exam, with just 11,45,976 students (56.21%) passing. Every year, around 18 lakh candidates take the NEET UG 2023 exam, which is both India's largest and one of the most difficult admission exams.