NEET Merit List Update: NMC Prioritizes Physics Scores Over Biology in Case of Tie

NEET Merit List Update : NMC Prioritizes Physics Scores Over Biology in Case of Tie

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has recently announced a revision in the process of determining ranks for NEET aspirants who achieve identical scores. The updated guidelines now prioritize marks obtained in Physics, followed by Chemistry and Biology. This marks a departure from the previous practice, which gave priority to Biology marks, followed by Chemistry and then Physics. The Graduate Medical Education Regulations-2023, released on June 2, state that if subject marks fail to resolve the tie, a computer-generated draw of lots will be conducted for creating the merit list, eliminating any human intervention. These new regulations are expected to be implemented in the coming year.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the NEET-UG exam, along with the NMC, will further deliberate on this matter. According to the regulations, "In the case of a tie in marks of students appearing for NEET-UG, the respective marks obtained in Physics, followed by Chemistry and Biology in the NEET UG, shall be considered. If the tie persists, a draw of lots by using a computer, with no human intervention, will be conducted to select the eligible candidates."

The NEET-UG results were announced on June 13 this year. As per the existing guidelines, in the event of two or more candidates obtaining equal marks/percentile scores, the tie-breaker rule is followed to determine their ranks. Previously, a candidate with higher marks in Biology would be ranked above others. In the case of identical Biology marks, the same rule was applied to Chemistry, followed by Physics. If the scores remained the same, the elder candidate was given a higher rank.

The new regulations also include provisions for MBBS course completion within nine years from the date of admission, with only four attempts permitted to clear the first year. Additionally, the NMC has stipulated that there will be common counseling for admissions to graduate courses in medicine across all medical institutions in India, based on the NEET-UG merit list. The regulations further state, "Under no circumstances shall a student be allowed more than four (04) attempts for the first year (First Professional MBBS), and no student shall be allowed to continue the undergraduate medical course after nine (09) years from the date of admission into the course."

It is important to note that a student enrolled in a graduate medical education program will not be considered a graduate until they complete their rotating medical internship as per the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship Regulations, 2021. The notification of June 2 specifies, "Without prejudice to anything stated in the present regulations or other NMC regulations, there shall be common counseling for admission to graduate courses in medicine for all medical institutions in India based on the merit list of the NEET-UG." The counseling process will be entirely based on the seat matrix provided by the NMC, and multiple rounds may be conducted as deemed necessary.

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