New Delhi: The NEET UG 2025 exam is set for 4 May. A debate has started around the fairness of the syllabus as the exam comes closer. The clash between NCERT and State Boards over the NEET UG Syllabus has been in the spotlight for some time now. Students, teachers and parents are asking a key question: Is NEET equally fair for all students, whether they study under the NCERT (CBSE) system or a State Board?
What is the NEET UG 2025 Syllabus?
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG) is the only gateway to medical education in India. The syllabus is primarily based on NCERT textbooks for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from Classes 11 and 12.
Join NEET News 2025 For NEET UG 2025, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has not introduced major changes in the syllabus, continuing the NCERT-centric pattern.
NCERT: The Core of NEET Syllabus
NEET’s reliance on NCERT books, published by the CBSE board, is intended to maintain national uniformity. However, many state board students find this alignment skewed:
- West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra boards have variations in topics, depth, and chapter sequence.
- Some topics tested in NEET are not part of state board syllabi.
- This pushes state board students to study dual syllabi: their board curriculum plus NCERT content.
The Issue: State Board Disparity
The core of the debate is simple:
While NCERT-based students get a direct advantage, others are burdened with additional preparation outside their board curriculum. Critics argue this:
- Violates level-playing field norms
- Imposes extra costs on coaching and reference material
- Demands extra time and effort from already overburdened students
A Class 12 student from Tamil Nadu says, “We are forced to depend on coaching institutes just to keep up with NCERT. It’s not fair when our board syllabus doesn’t match NEET topics.“
What Students & Experts Are Saying
Students:
- Feeling disadvantaged and anxious about unfamiliar topics
- Say that state board toppers often fail NEET due to syllabus gaps
Experts:
- Stress the need for syllabus harmonization
- Recommend early NCERT integration in all boards
- Suggest creating a common foundation syllabus for all science students
Dr. Manish Kumar Singh, an MBBS college consultant, says: “A central exam must respect the federal structure of education. Uniformity in exams needs uniformity in preparation.“
Government & NTA’s Stance
So far, the NTA has maintained that:
- The NEET syllabus is based on common topics between NCERT and major state boards
- Students are advised to refer to NCERT as the gold standard
- No immediate changes are planned for NEET UG 2025
However, the Ministry of Education, in response to public pressure, has formed committees to evaluate the disparity in syllabus and equity of access for all students.
Solutions to Bridge the Gap
- Standardize Science Curriculum Nationwide
Adopt a common syllabus for medical entrance across boards. - State Board-NCERT Mapping Guide
Provide an official document showing missing or overlapping chapters for students. - Free Bridging Modules
The government or NTA can publish free supplements or video lectures for non-NCERT topics. - Extended Exam Windows or Adaptive NEET
Include sectional choices for students from different boards.
Is NEET Truly Equal for All?
While NEET UG aims to create a single, fair admission system for medical education, the reality on the ground tells a more complex story.
The goal of “One Nation, One Exam” may continue to favor the few, not the many, unless efforts are made to align syllabi, reduce dependency on coaching, and ensure equitable learning access.
