NEET Not Mandatory for Students Currently Enrolled in Medical Courses Abroad: Health Ministry

TheUnion Health Ministryconfirmed that themandatory rule to qualifyNEETfor pursuing medical courses abroadis not applicable to students who have already taken admission. These students are exempted from NEET as per the current regulations ofMCI. However, the NEET rule will be applicable to Indian citizens who wish to obtain a primary medical qualification from medical colleges outside India on or after May 2018. These aspirants will have to qualify NEET to pursueMBBSaboard, clarified by Health Ministry.

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Recently, MCI issued an official notice stating that Indian students aspiring to pursue medical courses in international colleges and universities aboard will have to qualify NEET. Within a few days after the decision of MCI, the Union Health Ministry received grievances from students who had already taken admission to MBBS course abroad. These students urged the Health Ministry to give exemption from the requirement of qualifyingNational Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

According to sources, the latest decision of MCI will come into effect from May 2018.

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TheNEET-UG 2018 Application Processis underway. Aspirants can submit the application form in online mode until March 09, 2018. Students who received messages from CBSE to re-upload the photograph will have to wait until March 12, 2018. TheNEET application correction windowwill be active from March 12 to March 16, 2018.

After MCI confirmedNIOSstudents ineligible for NEET, the authorities ofNIOS sought the intervention of HRD and Health Ministry. So far, there is no clarity whether the government will consider NIOS students eligible for NEET or not.