NEET (UG) Eligibility & Qualifications 2024

Eligibility to appear in NEET UG 2024

  1. Eligibility to appear in NEET UG 2024
  2. Eligibility for appearing in NEET (UG) , as per related Regulations of NMC and DCI are as follows:-

    1. He/she has completed 17 years of age at the time of admission or will complete that age on or before 31 December of the year of his/her admission to the first year of the Undergraduate Medical Courses.
    2. Accordingly, the lower age limit shall be as under:

      For Candidates of General (UR)/General-EWS born on or before 31.12.2007
      For Candidates of SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwD Category
    3. Upper age limit: As per Letter No. U-11022/2/2022-UGMEB, dated 09 March 2022 received from National Medical Commission (NMC), Under Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) regarding the upper age limit, there is no upper age limit.
    4. Indian Citizens/ Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) intending to pursue Undergraduate Medical Courses in a foreign Medical/ Dental Institute also need to qualify for NEET (UG).
  3. Criteria for NRI / OCI / Foreign Nationals
    1. Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), and Foreign Nationals are eligible for admission in Medical /Dental Colleges subject to rules and regulations framed by the respective State Governments, Institutions, and the Government of India, as the case may be. The NRI and OCI Applicants/Candidates have to upload a Certificate from the concerned Indian Diplomatic Mission in the country of their residence in support of their claim as an NRI/OCI Candidate, along with their online Application Form for NEET (UG) - 2024 and retain the original of such document for producing it at the time of Counselling / Admission to the Courses covered under NEET (UG). Similarly, a foreign applicant for NEET (UG) 2024 shall also upload Documentary Proof (e.g. relevant pages of a valid passport or a Certificate from the Competent Authority in the country of his/her nationality regarding his/her citizenship status) in support of his/her Nationality, along with online Application Form. The format of Embassy Certificate and Citizenship Certificate or any Documentary proof of Citizenship are given in Appendix - XVII A and XVII B. Foreign nationals may confirm their eligibility from the concerned Medical/Dental/ College/State.
    2. Eligibility of OCI cardholders for NEET (UG):

      The Ministry of Home Affairs vide Notification dated 4 March 2021 specified the rights to which an OCI cardholder shall be entitled under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

      Clause (4) (ii) of the said Notification reads as under:

      "(4) parity with Non-Resident Indians in the matter of,-

      (ii) appearing for the all India entrance tests such as National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, Joint Entrance Examination (Mains), Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced), or such other tests to make them eligible for admission only against any Non-Resident Indian seat or any supernumerary seat:

      Provided that the OCI cardholder shall not be eligible for admission against any seat reserved exclusively for Indian citizens."

      The above Notification provides the following Explanation:

      "The OCI Cardholder (including a PIO card holder) is a foreign national holding passport of a foreign country and is not a citizen of India."

      Similarly, the PIO cardholder and foreign nationals shall not be eligible for admission against any seat reserved exclusively for Indian citizens.

  4. Participation of UT of J&K and Ladakh in All India Quota

    Students from UT of J&K and Ladakh are eligible for 15% All India Quota seats and the candidates from respective UTs can participate like other states.

  5. Qualifications and Qualifying Examination Codes

    To be eligible for NEET (UG) – 2024, candidates need to refer to the following table for qualifying examination criteria.

    CODE: 01 A candidate who is appearing in the qualifying examination, i.e., class 12 in 2024, whose result is awaited, may apply and appear in the test but he/she shall not be eligible for admission to the Undergraduate Medical Coursesif he/she does not pass the qualifying examination with the required pass percentage at the time of first round of Counselling.

    Candidates who have appeared or are appearing at the qualifying Examination with English, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as the main subject and expect to pass the Examination with the required percentage of marks are also eligible to apply and appear in the Competitive Entrance Examination. However, their candidature will be considered only if they provide documentary evidence of having passed the qualifying Examination with the required subjects and percentage of marks.

    OR

    CODE: 02 The Higher/Senior Secondary Examination or the Indian School Certificate Examination which is equivalent to class 12 Higher/Senior Secondary Examination after a period of 12 years of study, the last two years of such study comprising of Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Bio-technology (which shall include practical tests in these subjects) and Mathematics or any other elective subject with English at a level not less than the core course for English as prescribed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training after the introduction of the 10+2+3 educational structure as recommended by the National Committee on Education.

    Candidates who have passed Class 12 from Open School or as private candidates shall not be eligible to appear for the ‘National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test’. Furthermore, a study of Biology/Biotechnology as an Additional Subject at Class 12 level also shall not be permissible.*

    *The candidates who have passed Class 12 level with Biology as an additional subject will also be eligible for MBBS Entrance Examination (as per Hon’ble High Court Order No. 2341/-W/DHC/WRIT/D-1/2019 dated 24/09/2019 in the Writ Petition (C) No. 6773/2019.

    If the institute has to consider an examination of an Indian University or of a foreign/university to be equivalent to the Class 12 under intermediate science examination, the candidates shall have to produce a certificate from the concerned Indian University/Association of Indian Universities to the effect that the examination passed by him/her is considered to be equivalent to the class 12 under intermediate science examination.

    *(NOTE: The proviso in italics has been a subject matter of challenge before the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi, Hon’ble High Court of Allahabad, Lucknow Bench, and Hon’ble High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Jabalpur. The provisions of the regulations disqualifying recognized Open School Board candidates and the candidates who have studied Biology/Biotechnology as an Additional Subject has been struck down. The Medical Council of India has preferred Special Leave Petitions before the Hon’ble Supreme Court and Appeals in the Hon’ble High Courts. Therefore, the candidature of candidates in the NEET (UG) - 2024 who have passed the qualifying examinations i.e. Class 12 from National Institute of Open Schooling or State Open Schools or as private candidates from recognized State Boards; or with Biology/Biotechnology as an additional subject shall be allowed but subject to the outcome of Special Leave Petitions/Appeals filed by the Medical Council of India)

    OR

    CODE: 03 The Intermediate/Pre-degree Examination in Science of an Indian University/Board or other recognized examining body with Physics, Chemistry, Biology /Biotechnology (which shall include practical test in these subjects) and also English as a compulsory subject.

    OR

    CODE: 04 The Pre-professional/Pre-medical Examination with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English after passing either the Higher Secondary Examination or the Pre-University or an equivalent examination. The Preprofessional/Pre-medical examination shall include practical tests in these subjects and also English as a compulsory subject.

    OR

    CODE: 05 The first year of the three years’ degree course of a recognized University with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology including practical tests in these subjects provided the examination is a University Examination and the candidate has passed the earlier qualifying examination with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/ Biotechnology with English at a level not less than a core course.

    OR

    CODE: 06 B.Sc. Examination of an Indian University provided that he/she has passed the B.Sc. Examination with not less than two of the subjects Physics, Chemistry, Biology (Botany, Zoology)/Biotechnology and further that he/ she has passed the earlier qualifying examination with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English.

    OR

    CODE: 07 Any other examination which in scope and standard (Last 02 years of 10+2 Study comprising of Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology; which shall include practical test in these subjects) is found to be equivalent to the Intermediate Science Examination of an Indian University/Board, taking Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology including practical tests in each of these subjects and English.

  • Provided also that to be eligible for NEET (UG) - 2024, the candidate must have passed in Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English individually and must have obtained a minimum of 50% marks taken together in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology at the qualifying examination as mentioned in the Regulations of NMC and DCI. In addition, they must have got a rank in the merit list of NEET (UG) - 2024 for admission to Undergraduate Medical Courses.
  • In respect of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, or Other Backward Classes (NCL), the minimum marks obtained in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology are taken together in the qualifying examination shall be 40% marks instead of 50% marks for Unreserved and General-EWS Candidates. In respect of PwBD candidates as per NMC and DCI Regulations, the minimum marks in the qualifying examination in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (or Botany & Zoology)/Biotechnology taken together shall be 40% instead of 50%.
  • Provided further that the students who have received education abroad and wish to seek admission into medical colleges in India must have passed in Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English with 50% marks in Class 12, and their equivalency determined by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) as per regulations of the Medical Council of India and the concerned University.
  • The criteria for minimum qualifying marks to be eligible for admission to MBBS courses shall also be applicable to concerned INIs like AIIMS and JIPMER.
  • Note: In all other cases, the States/Institutes that have cut-offs for eligibility other than those mentioned above, may follow their own criteria.

Note:

  • The Pre-medical course may be conducted either at a Medical College or at a Science College.
  • Marks obtained in Mathematics are not to be considered for eligibility for admission to Undergraduate Medical Courses.
  • The candidates who have studied from the Foreign/International Board should ensure that the qualifying examination passed by them is, in scope and standard, as explained in CODE: 07.
  • Any interpretation regarding the requirement of Biology / Biological Sciences as one of the subjects of the Qualifying Examination for NEET (UG) will be subjected to Regulation No. 4 (1) of the Graduate Medical Education Regulations (1997) as amended up to 2018 and the Judgement dated 16th February 2021 of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Civil Appeal No. 390 of 2021 in the matter of “Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences Vs. Srikeerti Reddi Pingle & Ors.” (Para 20 & 21)