Srinagar, Jan 4: The Federation of Self Financing Technical Institutions (FSFTI), All India, has formally urged the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the National Commission for Allied & Healthcare Professions to reconsider the decision making the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) mandatory for admission to Paramedical (Allied & Healthcare) courses nationwide.
As per Letter No. F. No. 220025/9/2020-NCAHP, NEET has been prescribed as a compulsory eligibility requirement—an approach FSFTI believes could adversely affect access to paramedical education, especially for students from rural, semi-urban, and economically weaker sections.
Dr Anshu Kataria, President, Federation of Self Financing Technical Institutions and Chairman, Aryans Group of Colleges, Rajpura (near Chandigarh) mentioned that despite having over 7,000–8,000 paramedical and allied health institutions across government and private sectors, India faces a severe shortage of trained healthcare support staff. Based on national workforce assessments and WHO-aligned projections, the country is short of 6–7 million allied and healthcare professionals—impacting hospital efficiency, diagnostic capacity, and patient outcomes.
Dr Kataria emphasised that paramedical programmes are skill-oriented and employment-focused, forming the backbone of India’s healthcare delivery system. These courses are designed to produce trained healthcare support professionals who directly contribute to patient care, diagnostics, and emergency services.
Dr KVK Rao, General Secretary, FSFTI said: “With the rapid expansion of government medical colleges, Ayushman Bharat hospitals, private healthcare facilities, diagnostic centres, and emergency services, India is projected to need an additional 8–10 million paramedical and allied healthcare professionals over the next 10–15 years. Dr Rao questioned the rationale of tightening admission norms amid acute manpower shortages, warning that restrictive policies could reduce enrolments, increase dropouts, and further strain healthcare institutions.”