Doctors’ union, aspirants write to Union Health Minister, seek deferment

Students across the country continue to express their dissatisfaction with the NEET PG 2022 exam dates which are scheduled on May 21. The United Doctors' Front Association of India has written to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya requesting that NEET PG 2022 be postponed. The letter requests that NEET-PG 2022 be postponed by 8-10 weeks and that the internship eligibility criteria for ineligible interns be revised.

For several weeks, NEET aspirants have been requesting a postponement. Previously, NEET-PG was postponed and rescheduled on May 21 due to various requests, but due to further delays in the schedule of the 2nd Mop-up round and ongoing stray round counselling, it caused further upheaval.

The letter adds that in many states, the counselling and the stray round will conclude in mid-May, leaving aspirants with 10-20 days to prepare for the exam. Delays in university exams due to Covid and internships have made students ineligible in states such as Bihar and Kerela. Students from these states will finish their internships in August or September, making them ineligible.

According to Dr Lakshya Mittal, Vice President of the United Doctors' Front Association, "NEET PG2021 allotments are still going on states, I got my seat recently and did not prepare for the exams because I was unsure if I would get an allotment. There are only about 20 days left, and that is for 19 subjects. How are we supposed to study for the exams?"

He added, "We mid-rankers are the ones who are suffering, as we were not sure whether we should start our preparations or not. Had my allotment not taken place this year, I would have opted for 2023."

Dr Sunil Soran tweeted, "Govt should listen to the legitimate demands of NEET PG aspirants. Hardly very less time left for doctors to prepare NEET-PG 2022 when they are already participating in the previous year's counselling which got delayed due to a court matter."

Another Twitter user, Dr. Jagruti wrote, "If exam happens now Exam will be like a lottery result, because students have no time to prepare, and makes the real worthy candidates miss the seats, that doesn't produce a great outcome in future. The academic balance they mentioned can't be achieved if there is no sufficient gap."