MCC, Health Ministry to soon sort out NEET-SS, INICET counselling conundrum

At present, admissions to Postgraduate medical courses, PG (MD/MS) and super speciality (DM/MCh) courses are done through two separate exams, NEET-PG, NEET SS and INICET-PG and SS exam.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is working to resolve the confusion around NEET-SS and INICET counselling. The Ministry is likely to soon come up with an outcome to sort out the confusion.

At present, admissions to Postgraduate medical courses, PG (MD/MS) and super speciality (DM/MCh) courses are done through two separate exams. For all Institutes of National Importance (INIs), these tests are called the INICET-PG (postgraduate) and INICET-SS(super-speciality) exams, which are conducted by AIIMS New Delhi.

For all other medical colleges in the country including government and private, it is done through the NEET-PG and NEET-SS exams. While, for the MBBS seats (undergraduate), the separate exam for AIIMS and other INIs has been abolished and admissions are done through a single exam, NEET-UG.

As per a recent update shared by the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA India), it recently had a meeting with the Health Ministry and the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) the conundrum regarding NEET SS and INICET counselling issue is being worked upon for an amicable solution.  

“Expecting a positive outcome for the welfare of all residents in question, very soon,” reads FORDA India tweet.

Last year a proposal was rejected by the Ministry for a separate MBBS admissions test to all the AIIMS and other institutes of national importance. The governing body of AIIMS headed by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya rejected the proposal on December 6, 2022 and suggested continuing with the current practice of a combined entrance examination for all medical colleges.

INIs include AIIMS New Delhi, PGIMER- Chandigarh, JIPMER, Puducherry and 21 newly established AIIMS for undergraduate and postgraduate education.

Section 37 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 specifically provides a distinct recognition of the medical degree of the INI (Schedule under 37) in relation to all other medical colleges in India under its purview. AIIMS New Delhi used to conduct an All-India entrance exam for admission of students to the MBBS program of all the AIIMS till 2019.

The NMC Act in 2019 following which MBBS admission seats at all AIIMS were merged with the NEET UG exam conducted by the National Testing Agency.

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