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The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) has called for a comprehensive review of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), arguing that the country's medical admissions system has become increasingly centralised, commercialised and inequitable.
In a statement, the public health network described the current NEET-based admission framework as "a system in crisis" and urged the Union government to commission an independent assessment of the examination's implementation over the past decade. It said the review should involve state governments, students and other stakeholders, with its findings made public.
JSA said NEET, introduced to curb commercialisation and ensure uniform standards in medical admissions, has instead led to an overly centralised and market-driven system. It argued that repeated allegations of question paper leaks point to structural weaknesses in the examination process rather than isolated lapses.
According to the organisation, the "one nation, one exam" approach has created new challenges while failing to address longstanding concerns in medical education. It said the system has diminished the role of states in admissions, fuelled a coaching culture and made it more difficult for students from rural and economically weaker backgrounds to secure medical seats.
Citing the findings of the committee headed by AK Rajan, constituted by the Tamil Nadu government in 2021, JSA said states are better placed to understand local inequalities and healthcare needs. It argued that since health is primarily a state subject under the Constitution, state governments should play a greater role in shaping medical admission policies.
The organisation also contended that the current system places disproportionate emphasis on performance in a single multiple-choice examination, rather than considering broader indicators of aptitude and clinical competence. It further claimed that NEET has made both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education increasingly examination-oriented while strengthening the influence of private coaching institutes.
Among its recommendations, JSA proposed restricting NEET to admissions in Union government medical institutions and a limited proportion of seats in state-run colleges, while allowing states to design their own admission processes for the remaining seats. It also suggested that Class 12 board examination marks be considered alongside entrance test scores instead of relying solely on a single national examination.
The organisation further called for replacing the National Testing Agency with a statutory public institution established through an Act of Parliament to conduct national entrance examinations. It also sought greater transparency in NEET-PG counselling and stricter regulation of fees charged by private medical colleges.
JSA urged the Union government to publish a white paper reviewing NEET's performance over the past 10 years and called on healthcare organisations, professionals and students to work towards developing a more accountable and equitable alternative to the existing system.
It said reforms to the admissions process should make medical education more transparent, responsive to regional healthcare needs and accessible to students from diverse social and economic backgrounds.
This article was written by a student interning with TNM.