Ayush National Exit Test to be effective for students of 2021-2022 batch: Prataprao Jadhav

Minister of State of the Union for Ayush (Independent Agent) Prataprao Jadhav announced on Thursday that the National exit test (Next) for Ayush will come into effect for students from the academic year 2021-22 onwards. The decision was taken on the recommendation of a committee set up in this regard to review the concerns of students on this matter, Jadhav said during a press conference.

The committee has recommended that NExT be applicable to students enrolled in the academic session 2021-22 under the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the National Commission for Homeopathy (NCH) Acts, 2020, removing any ambiguity in its implementation.

The committee was chaired by the Vice Chancellor of the National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, Professor Sanjeev Sharma, who was responsible for reviewing the suggestions of the students and submitting the recommendations to the ministry.

The test is mandatory for licensing and registration on state or national registries after completing a one-year internship and is structured as a problem-based exam featuring clinical case scenarios, images and videos to assess practical skills, the minister said.

Interns who have not completed their internship but have qualified in the National Exit Examination will be eligible to register with the state or national registration board only after completing a one-year internship, Jadhav said.

This announcement has been made after several representations were received from various students of Ayush stream regarding the implementation of NExT and a meeting was held with the Union Minister of State for Ayush with some representatives of BAMS/BHMS students regarding the discussion on the issue of NExT Exam of NCISM and NCH. The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) Act, 2020 and the National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) Act, 2020 came into force with effect from June 11, 2021, and July 5, 2021, respectively. The Commissions are required to conduct the National Exit Test in accordance with the provisions of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) Act, 2020 and the National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) Act, 2020 within three years from the date of commencement of these Acts.

Jadhav said, “Our aim is to ensure a fair and transparent process along with maintaining the quality of Ayush education and healthcare standards.”

The NExT is a key examination introduced by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) under the NCISM Act2020.

It is designed to assess clinical competence, understanding of medical ethics and ability to handle medico-legal cases for graduates in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Sowa-Rigpa.

The Minister also announced a major national campaign “Desh Ka Prakriti Parikshan Abhiyan” focusing on the health and well-being of all citizens.

He said the campaign will be led by the Ministry of Ayush and the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM).

The initiative aims to promote health through natural practices. More than 450,000 participants will be involved in the campaign, including 135,000 students, 20,000 graduate students, 18,000 teachers and 300,000 professionals, he added.

“The aim is to increase public interest in Ayurveda and boost economic growth,” Jadhav said.

The Minister further said that the campaign aims to set five Guinness World Records and is aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of integrating Ayurveda into daily life, encapsulated in the mantra of ‘Jan-Jan Tak Ayurveda’ ‘Har-Ghar Ayurveda’.