NEET PG 2023 Postponement: NMC releases Speaking Order against Representations

New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued its speaking order disposing off of all pleas for NEET PG 2023 postponement.

The order is in response to the several representations submitted by the aspirants pushing for an exam date extension to reduce the gap of around five months between the date of the NEET PG 2023 exam and the date of MBBS internship completion.

Representations:

Pathem Murali Krishna & Anr filed W. P. No. 4213/2023 against the Union of India &Ors. in the Hon'ble High Court of Telangana, Hyderabad praying for postponement of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-PG 2023) scheduled for March 05, 2023, on the ground that many interns who could not be registered earlier as their date of completion of internship was beyond the earlier declared cutoff date for completion of internship but the same was extended to 11.08.2023 vide notice dated 07.02.2023.

Read Also: NEET PG 2023, NEET MDS 2023: MBBS, BDS Internship Deadline Extended, details

The Hon'ble Court of Telangana, Hyderabad while deciding the case vide its order/Judgment dated 15.02.2023 directed the petitioners "to submit a fresh representation to the respondents seeking postponement of the NEET PG examination within one (1) week and upon such representation being received, the respondents shall consider and pass appropriate orders in accordance with law as expeditiously as possible by keeping in mind that the Entrance Examination is scheduled to be held in the first week of March, 2023.” The High Court had not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case.

Read Also: Postpone NEET PG 2023: Aspirants submit fresh representation to NMC

Subsequently, Pathem Murali Krishna and Gumpula Aravind Sai submitted their representation dated 20.02.2023 to NMC, received on 21.02.2023 requesting for postponement of NEET-PG-2023 by 3 months, so that they can prepare for the said examination.

A similar representation dated 17.02.2023 from Sh. Pathem Murali Krishna was submitted to the Director, Medical Education, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with a copy to Chairman, NMC requesting to postpone the NEET PG 2023 examination by 12-14 weeks so that he can prepare for the said examination.

The ground mentioned for the request of postponement of examination as mentioned in the representations is as under:

The date of completion of internship was extended to 11.08.2023 vide notice dated 07.02.2023 and they became eligible only after extension of the cut-off date for completion of internship. Therefore, he/they and similarly placed 18000 doctors will not get sufficient time for preparation of examination.

However, their representation could not be acceded to on the following grounds:-

a. The date of exam was already fixed 6 months in advance and a notice in this regard was placed on NBE website on 16.09.2022

b. Initially, when the cut-off date for completion of internship was 31st March 2023, more than 2 lakh students had already registered for exam and had not objected regarding the date of exam.

c. After representations from various State Government/Universities, the cut-off date of internship was extended to 11.08.2023 and surprisingly only 5000 additional applications were received which constitutes about 2% of the total candidates who are going to take exam. Postponing the exam will create problem for 98% of the students who have been studying/preparing for NEET PG Exam and have represented to not to postpone the date of examination

d. All the preparations are over and the test is to be conducted at more than 800 centers for more than 2 lakh students.

e. The Academic Session is planned to be started in July, 2023 or as early as possible after counseling.

Taking cognisance of these abovementioned grounds, the NMC has disposed off the representations.

“Representations dated 20.02.2023 and 17.02.2023 are disposed off and it is informed that exam will be conducted on the scheduled date i.e. 05.03.2023 and this comply the Order/ Judgment dated 15.02.2023 of the Hon'ble High Court of Telangana in the matter of W.P. N. 4213/2023 filed by Pathem Murali Krishna vs. Union of India & Ors. The issues with the approval of the Competent Authority,” stated the order issued under the authority of Aujender Singh, Deputy Secretary of PG Medical Education Board of the National Medical Commission.

To view the official NMC notification, click here

Demand for NEET PG postponement, Supreme Court to hear

Pointing out that NEET PG counselling cannot start before the completion of MBBS internship in August, the aspirants have time and again urged the Union Health Minister and other authorities to postpone the exam. In this regard, FAIMA had also written to the Union Health Minister and other authorities.

However, despite several requests from the aspirants for postponing NEET PG exam, the authorities have not agreed to their demands. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had clarified in the Parliament that NEET PG 2023 examination would be conducted on the scheduled date i.e. March 05, 2023.

Meanwhile, another case has been filed before the Supreme Court bench seeking postponement of NEET PG exam. The matter will be heard today. The petitions are listed as item 53.