Initially planned for the first week of July, the counselling for controversy-ridden National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG), 2024 is now anticipated to commence by the end of this month, according to highly placed sources in the Union Health Ministry.
However, the date is yet to be officially notified by the counselling authorities, causing anxiety among students awaiting admission. The issuance of permission letters to certain medical colleges is ongoing, with expectations of additional seats being included in the process.
On Friday the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) had told the Supreme Court that scrapping it without any proof of large-scale breach of confidentiality would be counterproductive as it could “seriously jeopardise” lakhs of honest candidates.
As the case is still in the court, there is not much clarity on the counseling issue. However, the sources said the process of issuing permission letters to some medical colleges was still underway and additional seats were likely to be added.
“The date of counselling will be announced once the exercise gets over to ensure seats of the new colleges can be taken up in the first round itself,” the source said.
The apex court last month refused to defer the counselling process. It was hearing a petition seeking a direction to pause the process for two days. The NTA, which conducts
NEET-UG for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses, and the Union education ministry have been at the centre of media debates and protests by students and political parties over alleged large-scale malpractice — ranging from question paper leaks to impersonation — in the test held on May 5.