AP Government makes NEET-UG mandatory for B.Sc Nursing admissions

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

In a significant reform aimed at standardising admissions in the healthcare education sector, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to conduct admissions into four-year B.Sc Nursing courses through the NEET-UG examination from the 2026-27 academic year.

The decision was taken following proposals submitted by the Medical and Health Department and received approval from Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, officials said. Under the new system, students seeking admission into nursing colleges across the State will be required to qualify in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG), bringing nursing admissions in line with other medical and allied health courses.

Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav chaired a high-level review meeting with senior officials to deliberate on reforms in the nursing admission process and examine options for ensuring transparency, merit-based selection and uniform standards across institutions. After detailed discussions, the government finalised the decision to adopt NEET scores as the basis for admissions.

Speaking after the meeting, Minister Satyakumar Yadav said the move was intended to enhance quality and credibility in nursing education. “The government is committed to strengthening healthcare education by ensuring a transparent and merit-based admission system. Conducting B.Sc Nursing admissions through NEET will help maintain national standards and provide equal opportunities to students,” he stated.

Officials noted that the decision is expected to improve academic standards in nursing institutions and align Andhra Pradesh with emerging national practices in medical education. The adoption of NEET-based admissions is also likely to streamline counselling procedures and eliminate discrepancies arising from multiple admission mechanisms.

The Health Department will soon issue detailed guidelines regarding eligibility, counselling procedures and seat allocation for the upcoming academic year. Authorities said awareness programmes will also be conducted to inform aspiring students about the revised admission process.

The reform comes as part of the State government’s broader efforts to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and human resource capacity by improving the quality of medical and paramedical education across Andhra Pradesh.