-Dipta Joshi

The National Medical Commission (NMC) on March 9 removed the fixed upper age limit for the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test for under-graduates (NEET-UG) aspiring to get into medical colleges across India. The mandatory entrance test had an upper age cap of 25 years for candidates from the unreserved category and 30 years for those from reserved category.

The NMC which had passed the decision in its fourth meeting held October 21, 2021 informed the same in a letter addressed to the National Testing Agency (NTA) which conducts the entrance exam. The letter stated “The process for official notification to suitable amend the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education 1997 to this effect has been initiated.”

The office of union health minister, Mansukh Mandaviya took to social media tweeting, “Good news for aspirants of NEET-UG. The National Medical Commission removed 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 upper age cap of 25 years put by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in its NEET prospectus in 2017 was challenged in the Supreme Court (SC) in May 2018. The current upper age limit removal is a response to the SC’s November 2018 order granting provisional permission to candidates above 25 years to write the NEET-UG exams until the final outcome. The court had asked the NMC to state its position.

“While the decision does allow those who are inclined to take up the medical field to fulfil their aspirations, I don’t see it as having a big impact. Since completing medicine (MBBS), post-graduation in medicine and some specialisation is a long process of about 8.5 to 10.5 years, there are few who would want to pursue it after a certain age. The demand for medical seats will also mean there would be more competition,” says Dr Ashutosh Niranjan, dean and professor, general surgery, NIIMS.

Every year around 15 lakh medical aspirants write the NEET of which just 4000 students are above the upper age cap of 25 years. With no age cap, aspirants can now switch over to the medical field and appear for the exams many times over. The move would also be of use to candidates who miss the age cut-off due to unseen delays like during 2020 and 2021 when exams were delayed due to the COVID pandemic.

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