NEET UG Eligibility: NMC Allows Students with Biology as an Additional Subject in 10+2 to Appear in NEET
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has revised its guidelines significantly, expanding the opportunities available to students who wish to appear for the NEET-UG examination. Those who have satisfactorily completed their 10+2 examinations with physics, chemistry, and mathematics other than English as their core subjects are now eligible to write the NEET exam. The primary requirement for this will be a passing score on the biology/biotechnology examination taken as an additional subject at the 10+2 level from a recognised board. Earlier students who have completed their 10+2 with core subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics, and English through a course of 2 years only in regular mode could write the exam. Students were also not eligible for the eligibility certificate issued by NMC to study medicine abroad.
In accordance with the updated regulations, individuals who have taken English, biology/biotechnology, physics, and chemistry even as additional subjects for their Class XII education and have passed the exam successfully are now qualified to sit for the NEET-UG examination. This examination functions as the entry point for enrolment in MBBS and BDS programmes in India. Furthermore, this allows students to be evaluated in relation to the issuance of a certificate of eligibility. The above-mentioned certification, issued by the NMC, functions as formal proof of eligibility for candidates seeking to enrol in undergraduate programmes at foreign universities and colleges.
Earlier, the National Education Policy (NEP) advocated for flexibility in the study of various subjects in class XII. This decision by the NMC is based on these recommendations of the NEP.
Benefits of the new NMC rule
The basis for suggesting flexibility in choosing different combinations of subjects for XII grade was to allow students to have more career options. Earlier, the subjects chosen significantly affected a student’s career path. With NMC allowing students who have taken physics, chemistry, biology/biotechnology even as additional subjects to appear for the NEET, this will open doors for many students who want to change their fields of study. As many students are confused about their career path just after their grade X exams, this will provide them with options that come with biology as a core subject.
Which students are now eligible to take NEET-UG 2024?
With regards to eligibility to appear in the NEET-UG 2024 edition, individuals who become eligible after the issuance of notice will be authorised to take the NEET-UG-2024. Students who have already passed their 10+2 exams with additional subjects as physics, chemistry, and biology are not eligible for this. However, this new rule allows applicants whose requests for NMC eligibility certificates for applying to foreign medical institutions were declined based on the previous rules to now be eligible to apply for the certificate again.