Official sources said on Wednesday, it is believed that the National Medical Commission (NMC) in a high-level meeting held on Monday told the Union Health Ministry that it wants to conduct NEXT in December 2023.
He informed that if the exam is conducted in December 2023, then MBBS students of 2019-2020 batch will have to appear for the exam. The results of the exam will also be used for admission to postgraduate medical courses from 2024-2025 batch.
As per the NMC Act, NEXT will be a common aptitude test for final year MBBS students, a licensure test to practice modern medicine, a merit-based entrance test for admission to postgraduate courses and practice in India. Will serve as a screening test for foreign medical graduates desirous of pursuing
The government had in September invoked the relevant provisions of the NMC Act to extend the deadline for conducting NEET till September 2024. As per the law, the commission was to conduct a common final year undergraduate medical examination, NEXT, within three years of its coming into force. The Act came into force in September 2020.
Sources said the New Delhi-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) may conduct the exam instead of the National Board of Medical Sciences but a decision on the matter is yet to be taken.
Officials said that conducting NEET requires preparation like modalities, syllabus, type and methodology of the exam and students also have to give enough time to prepare for the same.