A wave of confusion recently swept through students after a notification related to allied healthcare programs went viral, leading many to believe that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test would soon become mandatory for psychology courses. Aspirants across the country expressed concern about whether they would now need to prepare for a medical entrance exam to pursue psychology, clinical psychology, or counseling psychology. Experts have cleared the air and reassured students that NEET is not required for these programs.
According to psychology experts, the notification that triggered the panic applies only to specific allied healthcare programs. These are courses that fall strictly under medical-allied disciplines. Traditional psychology programs do not belong to this category. BA Psychology, BSc Psychology, MA Psychology, MSc Psychology, Counseling Psychology, and other academic tracks remain completely unaffected. Admissions for these remain in the hands of universities and colleges, based either on entrance exams or merit.
The notification lists ten specific allied health courses. These include Anesthesia and Operation Theatre Technology, Applied Psychology and Behavioural Health, Dialysis Therapy Technology, Health Information Management, Medical Radiology and Imaging Technology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Optometry, Physician Associates, Physiotherapy and Radiotherapy Technology. Each of these programs trains students to work directly in clinical settings and support medical teams in hospitals.
Students aiming to become clinical psychologists also have no reason to worry. The field of clinical psychology continues to be regulated by the Rehabilitation Council of India. The admission process for clinical psychology programs, including MPhil or professional training routes, has not changed. No official directive suggests that NEET will be introduced for these pathways. Universities will continue to follow their established entrance procedures.
These listed courses fall under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act. They form part of the medical allied category. Students who enter these fields often perform technical and patient care responsibilities inside hospitals. Because these are clinical support roles, the commission has linked their admission and curriculum structure to a more regulated process. This is why these specific programs may follow NEET based admissions in the future.
To date, no recognised authority has issued any guideline that mandates NEET for psychology at any level. The pathway for becoming a psychologist remains the same. Students can continue to study psychology at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels without appearing for the medical entrance exam. The advice from experts has helped reassure thousands of aspirants who briefly feared that their career plans would need drastic change.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)