Should NEET be scrapped for AYUSH courses? Here's what students and experts say

While a few experts opine that NEET should be done away with as the qualifying exam for AYUSH courses, others disagree
Image is for representational purpose only | (Pic: Express)
Image is for representational purpose only | (Pic: Express)

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has been extended as an entrance exam for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) courses in the year 2017. With Prime Minister Modi going to dedicate three national AYUSH institutes to India on December 11 at the 9th World Ayurveda Congress, and the NExT (National Exit Test) exam likely to replace NEET, the qualifying exam needs to be looked at afresh in these contexts.

While a few experts opine NEET should be done away with as the qualifying exam for AYUSH courses, others from the AYUSH fields say this is not necessary. Those in favour of the removal cite that many AYUSH seats remain unfilled across institutes and the situation could be altered if NEET was replaced.

"After NEET was extended to AYUSH courses, the number of aspirants for these courses has decreased, if we look at the statistics. The seats remain vacant," says Career Consultant Jayprakash Gandhi. "It is also seen that there aren't many takers for AYUSH courses. Most students who do not qualify for NEET for MBBS courses wait a year and repeat the exam instead of joining AYUSH courses, even if they qualify for those. As such, there is no need for NEET as an entrance test for AYUSH," he added.

Gandhi also points out that a majority of the AYUSH aspirants belong to families with weaker financial backgrounds. "Paying money for NEET coaching is an extra burden for them. Students who perform well in their 12th standard can easily get admission to these courses. The expense involved in NEET is another reason for the decrease in the number of students in AYUSH," he said.

However, Dr Vinayak Tembhurnikar, National President of NIMA (National Integrated Medical Association), the largest organisation of AYUSH practitioners in India, denied Gandhi's statements. "This is false data. The fee for AYUSH courses is also high and there is no question of aspirants opting out of these courses. The demand for AYUSH has increased over the last couple of years," he said.

"It is also wrong to say that seats are remaining vacant. One hundred per cent of the seats are being filled across all colleges, be it government, private or aided. Thus, there is no need for scrapping NEET. It is very much needed as a qualifying exam for AYUSH courses," Dr Tembhurnikar said further.

Dr Raj Shekhar Yadav, State Convenor of United Private Clinics and Hospitals Association of Rajasthan (UPCHAR) agrees. He said, "NEET should be very much present. We need meritorious students in all medical fields for advancement in research and growth. And NEET is a good means to decide the merit."

On the other hand, Dr Rishikesh Nagar, a senior student and AYUSH practitioner from Madhya Pradesh said there won't be much difference if NEET was scrapped for the courses. "Before 2017, states and universities had their entrance exams for admission to AYUSH courses. So, even if NEET is scrapped, these entrances are likely to be reinstated," he said.

However, he also added that instead of removing the qualifying exam, its loopholes should be addressed. "The NEET counselling process should be modified. It should be done in separate phases for MBBS and AYUSH courses to allay confusion," Dr Nagar said.

Responding to the question of NEET preparation and coaching becoming a financial burden to AYUSH students he said, "No one prepares for AYUSH separately. About 97 per cent of students who do not qualify for the MBBS courses seek admission to AYUSH. Many AYUSH students also shift to Allopathy after a year or two of practising AYUSH, even from top AYUSH institutes."

Meanwhile, Dr Rohan Krishnan, President of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), feels that the replacement of NEET with NExT was a better move. "Any entrance exam aims to fill up the seats. And some provisions in NEET are arbitrary, due to which seats remain vacant. Thus, our association has always advocated for NExT. And this stands for AYUSH courses too," he said.

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