22,715 MBBS seats out of NEET ambit

New Delhi : An Ordinance issued late Friday night after several weeks of uncertainty and confusion ensures that more than 50% of the MBBS seats will be filled only on merit on the basis of the all-India NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test).

To be exact, around 30,000 of the total 52,715 MBBS seats will be filled through NEET while another 22,715 in the state government and affiliated colleges will be filled up through the state-level PMTs (Pre-Medical Tests).

Putting a stay on implementation of NEET for a year, the Ordinance stipulates that the students who studied under the state education boards need not appear for the NEET-II slated on July 24. It puts an end to the suspense created by the Supreme Court by making NEET mandatory for all medical and dental colleges across the country.

The ground taken for the Ordinance is that the syllabus of the state education boards is different and the students passing class XII from them in the regional languages will not be able to compete when the NEET is to be conducted only in English and Hindi.

Around 30,000 of the total 52,715 MBBS seats will be filled through NEET while another 22,715 in state govt and affiliated colleges through PMTs.

The Health Ministry sources clarified that any student wanting to take NEET-II is free to try his luck in both this as well as the state PMT. They said the Ordinance does not overturn the Supreme Court order as it too approves NEET to put an end to the corruption of capitation fee charged by the private colleges, deferring it only this year to address the concerns of students as conveyed by various state governments.

There are a total of 412 medical colleges conducting MBBS course. Sources said all seats in 220 private medical colleges are to be filled through NEET which has been also adopted by some of the states and universities for admissions in their medical colleges.