With the registration window for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2025 closing soon, the total number of applicants has seen a dip compared to last year. So far, around 23 lakh candidates have signed up for the exam — nearly one lakh fewer than the 24.06 lakh who registered in 2024, as reported by ETV Bharat.
Despite expectations of a rise in applications, private counsellors have observed a slowdown. “The pace of registration picked up in early March, with four to five lakh students applying within a few days. At present the registrations are around 23 lakh, but the number of candidates appearing for the exam may be 60 to 70 thousand less,” said Sonu Kumar, a private counsellor, as quoted by ETV Bharat.
Experts believe this trend could slightly ease competition for MBBS seats. In 2024, there were approximately 20.3 aspirants vying for each of the 1.20 lakh MBBS seats in India. This year, with a similar number of seats available, the ratio may drop to 19 candidates per seat.
However, the final number of test-takers is likely to be lower than the number of registrations. Estimates suggest that only 22 lakh to 22.5 lakh candidates may actually appear for the exam.
Pankaj Khandelwal, who runs a form-filling centre in Kota’s Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, noted that the official registration tally stood at approximately 23.40 lakh by late night, though incomplete applications may not be counted in the final tally.
Additionally, some students admitted to Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, Jaipur, and Marwar Medical University, Jodhpur, through NEET-UG have been impacted by recent policy changes, making their exam participation uncertain.
Meanwhile, the number of female candidates taking the NEET-UG exam has been steadily rising over the years, according to Dainik Bhaskar. In 2019, approximately 8.39 lakh girls registered for the exam, compared to 6.80 lakh boys.
By 2024, the figures had grown to 13.76 lakh girls and 10.29 lakh boys. The trend is expected to continue this year, with a greater share of applications coming from female aspirants.
