NEET 2021 will be held once a year and in offline mode. There will be no changes in the exam this year, as reportedly said by Amit Khare, Secretary of Higher Education. Earlier, there has been a conflict of opinion between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health in regards to NEET 20201 mode and attempt limits. On one hand, the Ministry of Education wanted to hold the exam in CBT mode and more than once this year, but on the other hand, the Ministry of Health was not satisfied with the idea.
Since no consensus has been reached yet, Amit Khare has indicated that NTA will hold NEET 2021 with no changes. If further delay is done in holding the exam it will be a big loss. And if changes are made now in the exam, NEET 2021 cannot be held in June – July. NTA plans to hold the exam in June – July, the exact dates can be expected soon, as per Amit Khare.
Here are the 5 latest news on NEE UG 2021 that are worth knowing:
#1. According to reports, NEET UG 2021 shall have no changes in the exam pattern. The exam shall be conducted in the pen-and-paper format mostly between June-July. The Secretary, Higher Education, Mr. Amit Khare commented that it would not be fair on the current NEET aspirants to make changes in the paper pattern on such short notice. Moreover, any further delay in organising the exam shall adversely affect the upcoming academic session.
#2. The education ministry, reportedly, wants the medical entrance exam to be conducted more than once a year, through the online mode. However, no middle-ground could be established with the health ministry on time. It was successfully decided to conduct the JEE Main examination multiple times a year. Close to 28% aspirants (as indicated in 2020 results) improved their scores in the second attempt. Having noticed these observations, there was a growing demand to conduct NEET-UG multiple times as well. Khare clarified that NEET must be conducted more than once a year because, at times, a student cannot properly concentrate during a particular attempt. This lack of concentration naturally reflects in the candidate’s score. The student must then wait an entire year to attempt the examination. However, multiple attempts cannot be conducted in the offline mode. It is more reasonable to conduct the attempts in the computer-based format.
#3. Conducting NEET-UG multiple times and through the online mode cannot be an overnight decision. It requires consultation and consent from all the stakeholders involved. This is because there is a primary difference between JEE and NEET. JEE is not compulsory for engineering colleges whereas NEET is mandatory for admission to all medical institutions.
#4. The Mode of NEET exam cannot be changed without much prior notice, as a biology student may not be comfortable solving the paper on the computer. Such students need substantial time to get used to the new exam pattern. Hence, to introduce any changes in the entrance exam, authorities need to provide a notice period of six-eight months. Khare further went on to confirm that the official date for NEET-UG 2021 examination date shall be announced soon.
#5. Changes in NEET mode and attempts can be a possibility from next session, that is from 2022. The ministry is looking forward to implement th changes in the upcoming year.