NMC Pauses NExT Rollout, Orders 3–4 Years of NMC-Funded Mock Exams

Overview

• Following a meeting with FAIMA, NMC said NExT will not be implemented immediately and that nationwide mock runs will be conducted for three to four years at NMC expense.
• The regulator will consider a final rollout only after evaluating feasibility, infrastructure, legal readiness, and feedback from students and institutions gathered through the trial exams.
• NExT had been slated from August 2025 as a single examination replacing NEET-PG and the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination.
• FAIMA presented a nationwide survey reporting that over 40% of students in premier institutes describe their training environment as toxic and urged mental health support cells, regular counselling, and structured schedules.
• Reform proposals included research integration with ICMR, mentorship and research modules at UG and PG levels, stronger competency-based education, faculty training, and feedback-driven evaluations, which the NMC chairman said would be reviewed.