NEET-PG next year could be the last, to be replaced with National Exit Test for MBBS students
New Delhi (PTI): The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Postgraduate (NEET-PG) scheduled for April-May next year could be the last such examination as the admission to PG medical courses thereafter will be based on the results of the National Exit Test to be taken by final-year MBBS students, officials have said.
At a high-level held on Monday, the National Medical Commission (NMC) is learnt to have conveyed to the Union Health Ministry that it intends to conduct the National Exit Test (NExT) in December 2023, official sources said on Wednesday.
If held in December 2023, MBBS students of the 2019-2020 batch will have to appear for the exam. The results of the exam will also be used for admission to postgraduate medical courses from the 2024-2025 batch, they said.
According to the NMC Act, NExT will serve as a common qualifying final-year MBBS exam, a licentiate exam to practise modern medicine and for merit-based admission to postgraduate courses and a screening exam for foreign medical graduates who want to practice in India.
The government had invoked in September the relevant provisions of the NMC Act to extend the time limit for conducting NExT till September 2024.
According to the law, the commission had to conduct a common final-year undergraduate medical examination, NExT, as specified by regulations within three years of it coming into force.
The Act came into force in September 2020.
The sources said the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi may conduct the test instead of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, but a decision on the matter is yet to be taken.
Conducting NExT requires preparations such as working out modalities, syllabus, type and pattern of the exam, officials said, adding students will have to given adequate time to prepare for it.
Mock tests would need to be carried out before the main test.
The importance of NExT lies in the fact that it will be the same for everyone, whether trained in India or any part of the world, and hence it will solve the problem of foreign medical graduates and mutual recognition, officials said.
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Mangaluru International Airport earns ACI Level 4 accreditation for customer experience
Mangaluru (Karnataka), Jul 26 (PTI): Mangaluru International Airport has earned the prestigious Level 4 accreditation in Airport Customer Experience from Airports Council International (ACI), positioning itself among a select group of global airports recognised for excellence in customer-centric service, officials said on Saturday.
The accreditation, awarded on July 16, 2025, is valid for one year and follows the airport’s attainment of Level 3 accreditation in February 2024, they said.
According to a statement from the airport spokesperson here, the ACI programme is the first global initiative dedicated to advancing customer experience management in the aviation sector.
According to ACI, Level 4 accreditation demonstrates a strong foundation of customer-focused practices and a readiness for the strategic, enterprise-wide transformation required to reach Level 5 — the highest level of the programme.
Over the past year, the airport has implemented several key initiatives including the launch of the Adani OneApp and Digi Yatra, deployment of AI-based surveillance systems, smart cleaning robots, improved flight information displays, and free Wi-Fi kiosks. These upgrades have not only enhanced operational efficiency but also improved the overall passenger experience, it stated.
The spokesperson for the airport said, “This Level 4 accreditation is a testament to our team’s dedication to providing a seamless and memorable journey for travellers. We remain committed to being a modern and efficient gateway for the region.”
The airport’s strategy, customer insights, digital innovation, and governance were among the factors evaluated for the accreditation.
