India’s healthcare education landscape is set for a major shift as NEET-UG becomes compulsory for all allied health courses from 2026–27. This means aspirants for psychology, physiotherapy, optometry, nutrition and other allied fields must clear the same biology-heavy, medical-oriented exam designed for MBBS and BDS admissions.
Experts warn this “one-size-fits-all” policy may undermine diversity in healthcare roles that rely on behavioural insight, empathy, communication, and social-science reasoning—skills NEET does not evaluate. Students, especially psychology aspirants, say they are overwhelmed by physics and chemistry topics irrelevant to their future careers.
Counsellors argue the mandate could disadvantage rural and late-blooming students, intensify coaching pressure, and narrow entry pathways into specialised professions that thrive on varied backgrounds. Supporters say a single entrance test ensures transparency and curbs admission malpractices, but critics insist that uniformity may come at the cost of professional suitability.
As 2026 approaches, India must decide whether standardisation alone can truly build a competent and empathetic allied healthcare workforce—or whether specialised assessments are essential for fair evaluation across diverse disciplines.
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