The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a standardized entrance examination that serves as the sole gateway for admission to undergraduate medical (MBBS) and dental (BDS) courses across all government and private colleges in India. The concept was initially proposed by the Medical Council of India (MCI) in 2010 to streamline the fragmented admission process and ensure merit-based selection. It was first conducted in 2013, replacing multiple state-level tests and the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT).
The legal journey of NEET was complex: it was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013, but was subsequently reintroduced by the Court in 2016. Its current legal mandate is derived from Section 14 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, which requires a common and uniform entrance test for all medical institutions. The exam is now conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which took over the responsibility from the CBSE in 2019.
The mechanism involves a single examination based on the NCERT syllabus for classes 11 and 12, typically comprising 180 multiple-choice questions from Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (Botany and Zoology). Admission is based on the All India Rank (AIR), with the National Medical Commission (NMC) conducting counselling for central seats. A significant change occurred in September 2019 with the NMC Act 2019, which made NEET-UG mandatory for institutions like AIIMS and JIPMER, which previously held separate entrance exams. Furthermore, NEET (UG) is also used for admission to AYUSH courses (BAMS, BUMS, BSMS) as per Section 14 of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020.