NEET score to be valid for
3 years
After making National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) mandatory for
students aiming to pursue undergraduate medicine courses in foreign
universities, Medical Council of India (MCI) has now put a three-year cap on
the validity of NEET score.
“The
result of NEET shall be valid for a period of three years from the date of
declaration of result,” states the official circular issued by MCI. This will
grant students more time to prepare and finalise an international university.
“This
will entitle a candidate to pursue MBBS or equivalent medical course including
pre-medical or language course, if any, followed by MBBS or equivalent medical
course,”
the statement further adds.
“The average admission process takes 6-12
months to get through in most institutes abroad. Sometimes managing finance and
visa procedures also take time. For instance, if a student clears NEET this
year but receives admission confirmation in a foreign university next year,
there is ambiguity among students regarding eligibility with respect to NEET
scores,” says VK Paul, chairman of MCI and member of National Institution for
Transforming India (NITI Aayog).
“In the
absence of this rule, students might have to go through the trouble of taking
NEET all over again,”
he says. Ease of admission, says Paul, is the prime focus of the decision.
“MCI wanted to address the issue with a
pragmatic approach and hence, we have kept the limit of three years as the
standard and format of NEET can change with time,” he adds. This rule, says
Paul, will also address the issue of mismatch between the Indian academic
sessions and admission cycles of foreign universities. “Unlike India, most of
the international universities function on a semester basis and have admission
intake twice a year. This will prevent students missing out on their admissions
abroad,” he adds.
