A segment of students from different parts of the country have demanded the postponement of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance test (NEET) for PG medical programmes scheduled for March 12 (PG 2022).
The students want the test to be delayed by a couple of months to accommodate medical graduates, who had started their internship late. Also, if they get a seat, the exam date and the date of reporting in colleges would clash, leaving them with little choice.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NEET PG 2021 was postponed twice last year. Normally the test is held by December 31 and the cut-off date for eligibility is March 31 of the same year.
In 2021, not only was the test delayed, but a series of court cases postponed the counselling further. This year, the online counselling by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will begin on January 19 and the results of the stray vacancy round, the last leg of counselling by the MCC, would be released on March 12. Students are given time until March 16 to report to their colleges.
Annually, around two lakh candidates appear for NEET PG, for the several thousand seats in government and deemed universities, besides self-financing colleges. Another issue is the inclusion of interns (candidates on CRRI), who started their internship late due to the pandemic. In several States, candidates began their internship as late as August and October, as a result of which they would not be eligible for the examination.
‘Destroy students’ future’
“The cut-off date of March 31 for candidates to be eligible to take the test, has not changed in the past 40 years. A delay in holding the exam would destroy an entire batch of students’ future,” said a Tamil Nadu candidate, appearing for the counselling and looking to take the test.
Candidates participating in the counselling for All India Quota seats from Tamil Nadu say by the end of first round, they would get a clear picture of their chances. “We will know within a week if we get a seat of our choice. In the second round, it is only the possibility of getting a better college. But delaying the exam would adversely affect an entire batch of students,” a candidate said.
