Summary
In a statement, the organisation described the current NEET-based admission process as
The organisation argued that since health is primarily a state subject under the Constitution, state governments should play a larger role in determining admission policies
The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), a national public health network, has urged the Union government to undertake a comprehensive review of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and introduce significant reforms to India's medical admission system.
In a statement, the organisation described the current NEET-based admission process as "a system in crisis", arguing that the highly centralised model has failed to achieve the objectives for which it was introduced.
JSA called on the Centre to conduct an independent review of NEET's implementation over the past 10 years, involving state governments, students and other stakeholders. It also demanded that the findings of the review be made public to assess whether NEET has met its stated goals and to explore alternative admission models.
According to the organisation, the existing system has led to greater commercialisation of medical education, reduced the role of states in admissions and made it more difficult for students from rural and economically weaker backgrounds to secure medical seats.
The network also cited repeated allegations of NEET paper leaks, saying these indicate structural weaknesses in the examination system rather than isolated incidents.
Questioning the effectiveness of the "one nation, one exam" model, JSA said excessive centralisation has created new challenges instead of resolving long-standing issues in medical education.
The organisation argued that since health is primarily a state subject under the Constitution, state governments should play a larger role in determining admission policies. It said states are better placed to design admission mechanisms that reflect regional healthcare needs and local educational priorities.
Among its recommendations, JSA proposed that NEET should be limited to admissions in central government medical colleges and a small proportion of seats in state-run institutions, while allowing states to develop their own admission systems for the remaining seats.
It also suggested that Class 12 board examination marks and entrance test scores should both be considered during the admission process, instead of relying solely on a single national entrance examination.
The organisation further recommended replacing the National Testing Agency (NTA) with a statutory public institution established through an Act of Parliament to conduct national-level entrance examinations.
In addition, JSA called for greater transparency in NEET-PG counselling, stricter regulation of fees charged by private medical colleges and measures to reduce the growing influence of coaching institutes in medical entrance examinations.
The organisation said these reforms would help make medical admissions more transparent, equitable and responsive to the diverse needs of different states and student communities.
Last updated on 27 Jun 2026
