NEET MDS 2024 to be held on March 18: NBE

New Delhi: Confirming the recent news reports, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has informed that the NEET MDS 2024 examination will be conducted on 18th March 2024.

Issuing a notice on 20th January 2024, NBE further informed that the cut-off date for eligibility to appear in the NEET MDS 2024 exam shall be 31st March 2024.

Although earlier the academic calendar released by NBE had informed the tentative date for NEET MDS 2024 to be 9th February 2024, it has now been postponed to 18th March, 2024.

"Pursuant to the receipt of DCI Letter No. DCI/Admission/Admsn/MDS/ Gen/999/2024-25/2024/6933 dated 08.01.2024 and MoHFW letter No. V.12025/158/2023-DE(Pt) dated 19.01.2024, the conduct of NEET-MDS 2024 examination which was earlier notified to be tentatively held on 9th February 2024, stands rescheduled," NBE mentioned in the notice dated 20.01.2024.

Announcing the new date for NEET MDS 2024, NBE informed, "The cut-off date for the purpose of eligibility to appear in the NEET-MDS 2024 shall be 31st March 2024. Please refer to NBEMS website https://natboard.edu.in for Information Bulletin, Application Form and other details as and when notified."

"Please refer to NBEMS website https://natboard.edu.in for Information Bulletin, Application Form and other details as and when notified. For any query/clarification/assistance, please write to NBEMS at its Communication Web Portal," the notice further mentioned.

The NEET-MDS 2024 is the eligibility cum ranking examination for admission to various MDS courses for 2024-2025 admissions. It is conducted by the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).

Also Read: After NEET PG Postponement, aspirants urge NBE to defer NEET MDS 2024 Exam till July

The NBE notice regarding the schedule of NEET MDS on 18th March 2024 comes at a time when the aspirants for the exam have been demanding the postponement of the same to July, 2024.

Recently, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) postponed the NEET-PG examination from March to July. Issuing an official notice in this regard, NBE mentioned, "The conduct of the NEET-PG 2024 examination, which was earlier notified to be tentatively held on March 3, 2024, has been rescheduled. The NEET-PG 2024 shall now be conducted on July 7, 2024."

Taking to social media platforms, the MDS aspirants started urging the authorities to defer the exam till July 2024, just like the entrance examination for the PG medical courses. Some of the aspirants demanded to know the exact dates for the exam.

Amid these speculations regarding the dates for the NEET MDS exam, news agency ANI reported that the entrance test for admission to PG dental courses is likely to be conducted in the third week of March, on 18th March to be specific. 

Disappointed over the news reports claiming that the NEET MDS exam would be held in the third week of March, the aspirants have termed it to be 'unfair'.

They are demanding the postponement of the exam to July while highlighting the fact that even if the exam is conducted in March, the counselling would not commence soon.

According to the MDS aspirants, the counselling process for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) examination and NEET MDS are always conducted together. Therefore, with the NEET PG getting postponed to July, it is unlikely that NEET MDS counselling would be held anytime soon. Terming it to be an "injustice", the aspirants have been demanding that the NEET MDS exam also get postponed till July.

However, now releasing the official notice, NBE has confirmed that the NEET MDS 2024 examination will be held on 18th March 2024. Sharing the NBE notice, the All India Students Dental Association mentioned in an X post, "It's a real injustice for all NEET MDS aspirants."

Meanwhile, RTI Activist Dr. Vivek Pandey has written to the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urging to align the NEET MDS 2024 examination with the NEET PG 2024 for streamlined admissions. He has also urged the Minister to extend the eligibility for delayed internships due to COVID.

"Hasn’t the SC ruled that both the exams be held within close vicinity to each other? And if so then why wasn’t NEETMDS postponement declared earlier than NEETPG? Is the counselling schedule changing as well? #neetmds," wrote an aspirant on X (formerly Twitter).

To view the official NBE notice, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/neet-mds-2024-230680.pdf

Also Read: NEET MDS 2024 likely in March: Aspirants call it unfair, say counselling will be delayed