All private medical colleges will come under the ambit of common medical exams (NEET) scheduled for July 24, Health Minister J P Nadda said on Tuesday after the Ordinance to keep the state boards out of it for a year was signed by President Pranab Mukherjee.
Noting that the Ordinance has given a “firm and statutory” support to the common medical entrance test, he said that the exams held by state boards have been given exemption only for this year (2016-17).
“All private institutions and medical colleges will come under the ambit of NEET. The state governments will get an option to either conduct their own exam or go for NEET to fill under graduate seats. However, for PG courses, the exam will be held under NEET for 2017-18 session, in December this year,” the minister said while clearing the confusion over the coverage of NEET.
“The states will have an option. Approximately five states have conducted the test. A total of 6.5 lakh candidates have appeared in various state exams and out of which 6.25 lakh have appeared in NEET part 1,” Nadda told reporters here.
“There are states which have deferred their exam like Uttar Pradesh, while Bihar has opted for NEET. They have an option. These seats will be filled either by NEET or state governments,” he said.