NEET 2021 Registration begins, 5 points students must know

NEET 2021: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday announced a new date for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate, or NEET UG 2021. The exam will be conducted on September 12. Earlier, the exam was scheduled for August 1. Registration for the exam will begin tomorrow, July 13. Mr Pradhan's announcement came as a relief to lakhs of medical aspirants, who were eagerly waiting to know when the NEET 2021 application forms will be released and if the exam will be conducted as per schedule.

"The NEET (UG) 2021 will be held on 12th September 2021 across the country following COVID-19 protocols. The application process will begin from 5 pm tomorrow through the NTA website(s)," Mr Pradhan tweeted.

Here are five things students should know about NEET 2021:

NEET 2021 application forms will be released at ntaneet.nic.in, neet.nta.nic.in and nta.ac.in. Along with application forms, the NTA will also release the information bulletin, mentioning eligibility criteria dates for different events, and the counselling process. The information bulletin will be released in 13 languages in which the exam will be conducted.

The number of exam centre and exam cities have been increased this year. "In order to ensure social distancing norms, number of cities where examination will be conducted has been increased from 155 to 198. The number of examination centres will also be increased from the 3862 centres used in 2020," the Education Minister said.

NEET UG 2021 will be conducted following all Covid protocols. "To ensure adherence to COVID-19 protocols, face mask will be provided to all candidates at the centre. Staggered time slots during entry and exit, contactless registration, proper sanitisation, seating with social distancing etc. will also be ensured," the minister said.

Students will need the following documents to register for NEET 2021: Scanned passport size photograph, signature, left hand thumb impression, Class 10 certificate, postcard size photograph and any other documents, if applicable. The information bulletin will specify format and resolution of the documents to be uploaded.

Students who want to study BSc Nursing and Health Sciences should also apply for NEET 2021. This will be the first time the exam will be used for admission to these courses.