Though there is no official word so far that the NExT exam will not be held in 2023, the Union Health Ministry’s gazette notification on September 23 invoking section 59 of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act states the regulations for conducting the exam are yet to be framed and formation of examination cell is under process.

According to the NMC Act, the commission has to conduct a common final year undergraduate medical examination NExT within three years of it coming into force.

The Act came into force in September 2020.

The NExT will serve as a common qualifying final year MBBS exam, a licentiate exam to practise modern medicine and for merit-based admission to postgraduate courses and a screening exam for foreign medical graduates who want to practise in India.

The notification stated that “even after passing of almost two years, regulations in the matter are yet to be framed and also constitution of the examination cell is under process”.

“Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 59 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, the Central Government hereby makes the following order, to remove the said difficulties,” it said.

This order may be called the National Medical Commission first (Removal of Difficulties) order, 2022, and shall come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

“In sub-section (3) of section 15 of the Act, for the words, ‘three years’, the words ‘four years’ shall be substituted,” the notification read.