The National Medical Commission (NMC) has removed the upper age limit for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) for admission to MBBS courses across the country.
Till now, the upper age cap was 25 years for unreserved candidates and 30 years for reserved candidates.
NMC Secretary Dr Pulkesh Kumar wrote in a letter to the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts entrance exams for higher education, on Wednesday ,“I would like to inform that it has been decided in the 4th NMC meeting held on 21st Oct 2021 that there should not be any fixed upper age limit for appearing in the NEET-UG examination… The process for official notification to suitably amend the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997 to this effect has been initiated.”
“Good news for the aspirants of NEET-UG! The National Medical Commission removes the fixed upper age limit for appearing in the NEET-UG examination. The decision will immensely benefit aspiring doctors and further help in strengthening medical education in the country,” The Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted.
The decision will benefit candidates who may miss the age cutoff if the exam is delayed or postponed, like it was in 2020 and 2021.
Around 15 lakh students appear for the exam each year. Last year, the test was conducted in September. The NTA is yet to announce the date and time for NEET 2022. Since last year, the test is also being used for admission to BSc Nursing and BSc Health Sciences courses.