Bengaluru: From 2026-27, National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) will be mandatory for admissions to Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) and Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT) courses in Karnataka. Karnataka State Allied and Healthcare Council (KSAHC) has directed all universities in the state to follow this norm, based on a letter from National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) to National Testing Agency and health ministry.All vice-chancellors of public, private, and deemed universities have been asked to ensure strict compliance, said a circular from Prof UT Iftikhar Ali Fareed, KSAHC chairman. Until now, admissions were based on the common entrance test or PU marks.Currently, 27 colleges offer occupational therapy with 655 seats, including 131 under govt quota. Physiotherapy has 8,915 seats across 203 colleges, including six private universities and four government colleges; 2,006 seats are in the govt quota.“Thus far, allied health sciences have not come under any agency. After the formation of the council, steps are being taken to streamline the course. Making NEET mandatory is part of this,” said ST Srinivas, secretary, KSAHC.“There are no qualifying marks for NEET that students should obtain to get admission to these programmes. However, appearing for the exam is mandatory,” he added.The move is expected to push up NEET registrations. Last year, 1.5 lakh students registered from Karnataka, and 1.4 lakh of them appeared; 83,582 qualified. In 2024, 1.5 lakh appeared and 88,887 qualified.
