The National Medical Commission (NMC) has chosen to prioritise marks scored in Physics, followed by Chemistry and Biology, while establishing ranks of candidates with equal NEET scores. This is in contrast to the present practise of assigning Biology, Chemistry, and then Physics marks the highest emphasis.
In the Graduate Medical Education Regulations-2023, a computerised lot draw will be used to determine the merit list if the subject marks are unable to break the tie. The drawing of lots would take place without any human involvement. The new regulations, which were announced on June 2, are probably going to start taking effect in 2024.
According to reports, the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the National Testing Agency, which administers the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admission to undergraduate medical programmes, will continue to discuss the matter. "In case of tie in marks of the students appearing for NEET-UG, the respective marks obtained in Physics, followed by Chemistry, and further followed by Biology in the NEET UG shall be considered; Provided, if the tie were to continue, then draw of lots by using the computer, with no human intervention, the eligible candidates shall be selected," according to the regulations.
The tie-breaker rule is used to determine the candidates' ranks if two or more candidates receive equal marks or percentile scores. A candidate is ranked above the others if they received higher grades in biology. The same method is used in cases with similar marks in Biology by Chemistry and Physics. The older applicant receives the higher rank if the scores are still equal.
The new rules state that students enrolled in the MBBS programme must finish the programme within nine years of the entrance date and will only have four chances to pass the first year. According to the NMC, there would be a unified counselling process for graduate course admissions at all medical colleges across the nation based on the NEET-UG merit list.
The NMC regulations specified that no student would be permitted to continue their undergraduate medical studies after nine (09) years from the date of their acceptance into the programme. "Under no circumstances shall the student be permitted more than four (04) attempts for the first year (First Professional MBBS)," they said.
The Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship Regulations, 2021 provide that a student admitted to a graduate medical education programme is not considered to have graduated unless he completes his rotating medical internship. Counselling must entirely be based on the seat matrix given by NMC, with the caveat that common counselling may require as many rounds as necessary.
