Protest is brewing in Kozhikode like in other parts of the country against the proposed National Exit Test (NEXT), which the medical fraternity alleges, hides a multitude of problems behind a façade of ensuring standards in medical education in the country. A massive protest was organised in Kozhikode on Wednesday by the students’ union of Government Medical College, Kozhikode. Students of Malabar Medical College and Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences joined them.
As per the draft Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill 2016, medical graduates will have to clear NEXT to practise as doctors. The government says the test will create a level-playing field in medical education, ensure quality teaching and standards of universities in the country. It replaces the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for postgraduate admissions, recruitment for Central health services and the foreign graduate medical examination. However, medical fraternity is divided over the implications of NEXT.
