New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI): The Centre has decided against conducting the medical entrance exam NEET-UG in online mode for now, and announced on Thursday it will continue to be conducted in pen and paper mode.
The decision comes after detailed deliberations between education and health ministries on whether to conduct the NEET-UG in pen and paper mode or online mode.
"As decided by the National Medical Commission(NMC), the NEET-UG shall be conducted in Pen and paper mode (OMR based) in a single day and shift," a senior National Testing Agency (NTA) official said on Thursday.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is the largest entrance exam in the country in terms of number of candidates appearing for the test. In 2024, a record more than 24 lakh candidates took the exam.
The NTA conducts the NEET every year for admission into medical colleges. A total of 1,08,000 seats are available for MBSS course.
Of the seats available for the MBBS course, approximately 56,000 are in government hospitals and about 52,000 in private colleges. Admissions to undergraduate courses in Dentistry, Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha also utilise the results of the NEET for admission.
The idea of switching to Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode for NEET is not new and has been deliberated several times before. However, the push for the exam reforms came following the paper leak controversy last year.
In the line of fire over alleged irregularities in NEET and PhD entrance NET, the Centre had in July set up the panel to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations by NTA.
According to the high-level panel headed by former ISRO Chief R Radhakrishnan, multi-stage testing for NEET-UG could be a viable possibility that needs to be followed up.
While NEET was under the scanner over several irregularities, including alleged leaks, UGC-NET was cancelled last year as the ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam had been compromised. Both matters are being probed by the CBI.
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Islamabad, May 4 (PTI): Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned India that it would strike any structure that is built on the Indus River in “violation of the Indus Waters Treaty”, which was suspended following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Ties between the two neighbouring countries plummeted following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
India, among other punitive actions, announced the suspension of the 1960 accord, which governs water sharing between the two countries.
Speaking on a Geo News programme on Friday, the defence minister said, “Certainly, if they attempt to build any kind of structure, we will strike it.”
Asif said that building any structure on the Indus River would be seen as “Indian aggression” against Pakistan.
“Aggression is not just about firing cannons or bullets; it has many faces. One of those faces is [blocking or diverting water], which could lead to deaths due to hunger and thirst,” he added.
The defence minister said, “If they make any architectural attempt, then Pakistan will destroy that structure.
“But for now, we are heading to forums available to us, starting from the IWT [Indus Waters Treaty]. We will pursue this matter."
According to a media report on Friday, Pakistan is planning to issue a formal diplomatic notice to India against its unilateral move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty.
The decision was made after initial consultations between Pakistan’s ministries of Foreign Affairs, Law, and Water Resources, The Express Tribune reported.
Separately, Pakistan on Saturday conducted a training launch of the Abdali weapon system — a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kms.
Earlier on April 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to punish the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack and their backers.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass on April 29, Modi asserted that the armed forces have “complete operational freedom” to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to the terror attack, according to government sources.