The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a national-level entrance examination, a regulatory concept and mechanism, that serves as the sole gateway for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses (MBBS, BDS) across India. It was first introduced in 2013 by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to solve the problem of a fragmented admission system. The core purpose was to unify the process, replacing the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) and numerous state-level exams, thereby ensuring a uniform standard, greater transparency, and curbing malpractices in medical admissions.
The mechanism of NEET was initially established by inserting Section 10D into the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. Although the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in 2013, it was restored in 2016. The test is now conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which took over from the CBSE in 2019. The entire regulatory framework was recently overhauled when the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019, replaced the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, and dissolved the Medical Council of India (MCI) on September 25, 2020. The NMC Act retained the single entrance exam, making it mandatory even for institutions like AIIMS and JIPMER. Following recent paper leak controversies, the government has proposed amendments to the Public Examinations Act, 2024, to increase the minimum prison term for offenders from three to five years and raise the maximum fine five-fold.