The Union health ministry decided to postpone the NEET-PG exams that were supposed to take place on Sunday (23rd June, 2024). This decision was made late Saturday night due to allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG exams, which qualify students for MBBS courses.Each year, almost 2 lakh MBBS graduates take the NEET-PG exam, competing for around 52,000 post-graduate seats across India.
“This decision has been taken in the best interests of the students and to maintain the sanctity of the examination process… fresh dates will be announced at the earliest,” the ministry stated.Union health secretary Apurva Chandra explained, “NEET PG is being postponed as a precautionary measure.”
It is important to note that the National Testing Agency (NTA) does not conduct the NEET-PG exams. The NTA is currently dealing with the NEET-UG controversy and was also responsible for the UGC-NET test that was cancelled due to a paper leak.
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) conducts NEET-PG. They are capable of testing advanced medical knowledge.
The NEET-UG irregularities surfaced after an unusually high number of students scored full marks. The NTA revealed that students from six centers were given grace marks, which were later removed by a committee recommending a re-test for about 1,500 students from these centers. There were also allegations of a paper leak in Bihar and Gujarat. Following these allegations, Opposition parties demanded the postponement of NEET-PG. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor posted on social media platform X, “Given the allegations surrounding the conduct of NEET-UG exams, I urge the Government to postpone NEET-PG scheduled on June 23rd.”
Despite the controversy, senior officials informed earlier this week that they were confident of conducting the NEET-UG exams. They had issued a test day advisory on Friday. Additionally, NBEMS warned candidates about fraudsters claiming to provide NEET-PG questions for money and registered a police complaint against them.
The health ministry stated on Saturday, “Taking into consideration, the recent incidents of allegations regarding the integrity of certain competitive examinations, Ministry of Health has decided to undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of processes of NEET-PG Entrance Examination…”However, this postponement has upset many. Dr. Manish Jangra, chief advisor and founder of the Federation of All India Medical Association, criticized the late announcement, stating that students had already made travel and accommodation arrangements. He also pointed out that the delay might leave many students uncertain about their future, unable to join jobs or continue further studies until new exam dates are announced.
Additionally, there have been repeated delays in NEET-PG tests in previous years due to the pandemic, which led to a massive strike in 2021.The postponement of the NEET-PG exams due to allegations surrounding NEET-UG has caused widespread dissatisfaction and uncertainty among MBBS graduates, impacting their plans and future career steps.
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