NEET PG 2024 Was Postponed Due to 'Impersonation' Threats: Report

New Delhi: This year's National Eligibility-and-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2024 examination, which was previously scheduled to be conducted on June 23, was postponed at the last minute due to credible intelligence inputs suggesting potential 'impersonation' or manipulation attempts in the examination, The Economic Times has reported.

Even though there was no actual 'leak' involving the computer-based PG medical entrance test, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBE), which conducts the test, received information that indicated a significant risk of being compromised, stated a media report.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported how in an unexpected turn of events, NEET-PG 2024 exam was postponed just 12 hours before it was scheduled to take place. The Union Health Ministry took this decision as a precautionary measure amid the ongoing controversies concerning the NEET exam as well as the UGC NET exam.

Announcing this decision the Union Health Ministry had stated in a release, "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, conducted by National Board of Examinations for medical students. It has accordingly been decided, as precautionary measure to postpone the NEET-PG Entrance Examination, scheduled to be held tomorrow i.e. 23rd June, 2024."

Also Read: Breaking News: NEET PG postponed at the last minute, fresh dates to be announced

While earlier there was no clarity regarding the exact reason for the postponement of the exam, a recent media report by The Economic Times has now reported that the exam was cancelled as a "precautionary" measure because of clear intelligence inputs indicating possible "impersonation" or manipulation attempts in the computer-based test.

Business Standard has reported that a senior official told ET, "There was no actual leak but credible complaints and inputs were there of possible impersonation attempts at some centres. There were also intelligence inputs on the same. That is why it was decided to postpone the exam."

Recently, NBE announced that the PG medical entrance test will be held on 11th August 2024 in two shifts. However, NBE clarified that the cut-off date for the eligibility to appear in the exam shall continue to be 15th August 2024.

More than 240,000 candidates will appear in the NEET-PG exam for admission in 24,000 MD seats, 12,600 MS seats and 900 PG Diploma seats at various medical institutes.

The Central Government recently disclosed before the Supreme Court disclosed that the NEET-UG 2024 counselling will start in the third week of July. While the exact dates for the second round of registration will be disclosed later, the third round is expected to commence by the second week of September.

Also Read: NEET PG 2024, Counselling Delay: Are We Moving Towards Regularisation of PG Batches?