NEET UG eligibility criteria relaxed, Biology allowed as additional subject after 12th

Students who have pursued physics, chemistry, biology or biotechnology along with English even as additional subject after passing class 12 from duly recognised boards will be eligible to appear in NEET-UG test.

In a public notice issued on Wednesday, the National Medical Commission (NMC) said that this decision will be applicable even to those students whose applications were previously rejected.

The erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI) through the provisions of the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997 including the various amendments, under Chapter-II had regulated the admission and selection to MBBS course.

It then had mentioned that candidates must have undergone two years of regular or continuous study of the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology, in Class 11 and 12 with practical, along with English, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board of the NMC said in the public notice.

The two years study was required to be completed from regular schools and not from open schools or as private candidates.

Further, the study of Biology and Biotechnology or any other requisite subject, could not be completed as an additional subject after passing Class 12, the notice said.

The provisions had been challenged before the Delhi High Court and were quashed vide judgement dated May 11, 2018 in a case and other related matters.

This had a consequential bearing on the candidates seeking admission in graduate and primary medical courses in foreign medical institutes due to the statutory regulations in this regard i.e. the eligibility requirement for taking admission in an Undergraduate Medical Course in a Foreign Medical Institution Regulations, 2002 and the Screening Test Regulation, 2002.

In this background, candidates had been debarred from NEET-UG Test as also their applications seeking eligibility certificate were rejected.