Following the decision of conducting Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) four times a year, some students have appealed that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admissions to medical (MBBS), dental (BDS) and pharmacy undergraduate (UG) programmes should be conducted multiple times too. Students said the central government should take a decision and allow multiple attempts for NEET 2021 so that they have a better chance to improve their scores.
Focussing on the need for doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, students said it is high time that the central government makes provision for more admissions in the medical field. Sadia Quereshi, a student preparing for MBBS course said, "The pandemic has made it very clear how much we depend on health care facilities. It has also shown the gloomy side where we lack skilled doctors and medical practitioners."
Quereshi added, "Multiple attempts for NEET in a year will allow students to improve their scores, achieve higher ranks and secure seats in government aided medical colleges and universities. This will directly lead to better quality medical practitioners passing from both central- and state-run institutes."
Kishan Bhardwaj, a student preparing for NEET said, "Many of us give up after one or two attempts because NEET is a tough competitive examination. But if we are allowed to appear multiple times, we will still have a chance to prepare and study better without wasting an entire academic year. Along with quality, it will also increase the quantity of students seeking admissions to the medical field."
Students are demanding multiple attempts for NEET UG because on December 16, 2020 the Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank announced that JEE Main will be conducted four times in 2021 in the month of February, March, April and May by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in 13 different Indian languages.
Anthony Palli, a professor at a medical college, said, "Just like the emphasis which has been made on engineering programmes, the central government should make provisions for medical fields too. Multiple attempts and choice of regional language can help students to perform better. This will also help students from regional districts to understand the subject and prepare for the medical field ahead."
This year, NEET (UG) 2020 was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to MBBS/BDS courses and other undergraduate medical courses in approved or recognised medical, dental and other colleges and institutes in India on September 13.