Medical Admissions: Going as per media reports recently, the governing body of AIIMS, headed by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has rejected the proposal to conduct a separate entrance exam for MBBS admission. Like usual, MBBS admissions for AIIMS and all other Institutes of National Importance (INI) will be held through the NEET UG exam only. The NEET UG exam caters to over 80,000 MBBS seats and has a large number of stakeholders including students and colleges.
As of now, for AIIMS admissions to PG courses and Super Specialty courses, candidates have to appear for the INICET PG and INICET SS exams, conducted by AIIMS New Delhi. For other institutions, the admissions are done through the NEET PG and NEET SS exams, conducted by the National Board of Examinations for Medical Sciences (NBE).
No Separate Exams for All AIIMS and INI
The suggestion for a separate entrance test for MBBS was rejected at the recently convened governing body meeting of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). "After deliberations, it was felt that the current practice of a combined entrance examination for all medical colleges be continued." said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. On December 6, the AIIMS governing committee made this decision that no separate exams will be held for AIIMS or INI apart from NEET UG.
Why There Should Be Separate MBBS Admission Entrance Exam for AIIMS and INI?
As per the proposal, it has been stated that - "In pursuance of highest standards and maintain the spirit of innovation, the admission into postgraduate (INICET-PG) and super-specialty (INICET-SS) medical courses is now done through a Combined Entrance Test (CFT) administered by AIIMS, New Delhi. It is in this context, it is proposed that admission into undergraduate courses in the INIs should be done through a Combined Entrance Test (INICET-UG)."
Further, it stated that - "It was suggested that the MBBS entrance exam for AIIMS may be separated from the NEET-UG exam and reverted to the situation that existed till 2019. Similar to the pattern prior to 2020, admission to MBBS seats at all AIIMS may be done through a separate entrance exam. This exam could include MBBS seats of all INIs and be called the INICET-UG entrance exam."
Besides, due to multiple stakeholders (including Central, State, Deemed and Private Universities), the conduct of NEET exam and process of counselling is often delayed. A separate combined entrance test for undergraduate seats in INIs will shield them from events that affect the conduct of NEET. However, after consideration, the committee decided against the idea of holding a different undergraduate entrance exam from NEET, for all AIIMS and other institutions of national importance.
MBBS Admissions Before 2019
In order to select the highest calibre students for the medical undergraduate degree (MBBS), AIIMS New Delhi used to conduct an All-India entrance exam for admission of students to the MBBS program of all AIIMS. The medical entrance exam was conducted till 2019. With the promulgation of the NMC Act in 2019, admissions to the MBBS seats at all AIIMS were merged with the NEET - UG exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). As a consequence, since 2020, admissions to MBBS seats at all AIIMS are being done through the NEET-UG exam.
Medical Institutes of National Importance
With the establishment of AIIMS, the objective of Institutes of National Importance (INI) in the field of medicine is to develop patterns of teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in all its branches to demonstrate a high standard of medical education to all medical colleges and other allied institutions in India (AIIMS Act 1956). Subsequently, more institutions were added - PGIMER- Chandigarh, JIPMER, Puducherry (2008) and 21 newly established AIIMS for undergraduate and postgraduate education.
Medical Admissions in India
As of now, for all colleges in the country, admissions are done for the three levels of medical education through entrance exams. Admissions to PG (MD/MS) and super speciality (DM/MCh) are done through two separate exams. For all INIs, these tests are called the INICET-PG (postgraduate) and INICET-SS (super-speciality) exams, conducted by AIIMS New Delhi. The corresponding exams for all other medical institutions are done through the NEET-PG and NEET-SS exams. However, for the MBBS seats, the separate exam for AIIMS and other INIs has been cancelled and a single exam - NEET-UG is being held.
Also Read: Punjab NEET UG 2022: Mop-Up Round Provisional Merit List Released at bfuhs.ac.in
REGISTER FOR RESULTS UPDATES