NEET (UG) To Be Held on 12 Sept; Number of Centres To Be Increased

NEET (UG) will be held on 12 September following COVID-19 protocols, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said. Image used for representational purposes. 

(Photo: Anthony Rozario/The Quint)

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) will be held on 12 September 2021, with the application process to begin from 5 pm on Tuesday, 13 July, though the NTA (National Testing Agency) websites, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Monday.

The pre-medical entrance test will be held following COVID-19 protocols, with the number of cities where the examination will be conducted increased from 155 to 198 and the number of examination centres to also be increased, Pradhan said on Twitter.

"To ensure adherence to COVID-19 protocols, face mask will be provided to all candidates at the centre. Staggered time slots during entry and exit, contactless registration, proper sanitisation, seating with social distancing etc. will also be ensured," he added.

Major examinations have either been cancelled or postponed in the last few months in the wake of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across the country.

In 2020, NEET was held on 13 September and more than 14 lakh students appeared for the exam in over 3,800 centres across the country. The NTA declared the result last year on 12 October.

Out of 15.97 lakh candidates, around 85 to 90 percent had appeared for NEET 2020, then Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal had said.

NEET is a pen-and-paper-based entrance test for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses.