NEET 2018 Must for AYUSH

New Delhi: Attention NEET aspirants. In an important announcement, the Ministry of AYUSH has informed that those who are looking forward to taking admissions in AYUSH courses will have to clear the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) from the upcoming session.

The Ministry of AYUSH in its official notification announced that in the process of streamlining the admissions and to bring meritorious students to the AYUSH systems of medicine in the country, the Ministry had requested all the State Governments to admit students in AYUSH Under Graduate Courses from the academic year 2018-19 through the merit list of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) only.

Therefore come Academic Year 2018-­19, all UG seats of AYUSH Degrees namely, BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BSMS and BNYS shall be filled by considering the merit list of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) only.

In view of above, all State Governments are requested to ensure compliance of the decision of the Ministry and accordingly admit students in AYUSH- Under Graduate courses through National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) only from the academic year 2018-19.

Relief for 2017-18 Candidates

Even though the Union AYUSH directorate had deliberated on making NEET the qualifying exam for seats to all AYUSH courses across the country, a number of states had already proceeded with their respective state entrance exams for the year 2017-18. The total implementation of the plan was then postponed to 2018-19, to avoid confusions among candidates and exam authorities.

Since, it is important to ensure that meritorious students/candidates come to AYUSH streams of medicine, it would be advisable to the State/UT Government to adopt the merit list of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission in AYUSH UG courses for the A.Y. 2017-18 as per the existing reservation policies of the concerned State Government in tune with CBSE notification of NEET for modern medicine.

However, if due to some difficulties the State/UT Governments are unable to adopt NEET merit list for AYUSH UG admission for the academic year 2017-18, then such States/UT Government may admit students in all the AYUSH Colleges/Institutions (Public and Private) through Common Entrance Test (CET) of the concerned State Government as per the existing Rules and Policies of the concerned State/UT/Institute/University as done in the previous year (2016-17).