Confusions Around NEET Addressed, 2021 Exam Dates Announced

The NEET entrance test is given by undergraduate aspirants of medicine and dental programs. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday announced that the NEET will be scheduled on September 12. Earlier, the exam was to be held on August 1. 

The application process for it will commence on July 13 at 5 pm, employing the National Testing Agency website. He also mentioned that keeping the social distancing protocols in mind, the number of cities wherein these exams are conducted have been increased to 198 from the earlier 155. Not just this, but even the number of testing centres used has also increased from the 3,862 that were utilized in 2020. 

Examinees will also be provided with face masks, staggering time slots at entry and exit points, non-contact registration, sanitization and social distancing induced seating arrangements will be utilized whilst adhering to the COVID decorum. 

According to certain reports, over 16 lakh students appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) last year. The NEET (UG) is not just used for MBBS and BDS admissions, but also substitute or conventional medicine and nursing programs. 

Students, on the other hand, have several questions in regards to whether the syllabus of the exam will be curtailed. However, no clarity on it has been attained so far. Apart from this, there are several other questions in regards to more internal choice in the question paper, considering that many educational boards had reduced their curriculum by approximately 30% owing to the pandemic. 

Under normal circumstances, the NEET is held in May, right after the Class 12 board examinations, to ease the admission process by August. Due to the second wave, however, the Class 12 board examinations were cancelled and there surrounded an air of uncertainty around the NEET. 

In 2020, NEET was scheduled in September and October to cater to students who could have missed the earlier schedule. Taking precedence from the same, students have been urging the board to schedule multiple sessions this year as well. The NTA, however, announced earlier that it will offer a single date in 2021 through the pen-and-paper method.