Row over NEET PG Counselling Delay: Doctors Take to Social Media Demanding Immediate Release of Schedule

New Delhi: Highlighting the long delay in the commencement of the National Eligibility-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) Counselling, senior doctors and associations representing medical professionals have taken to social media platforms demanding the immediate release of the counselling schedule.

Even though the registration process for the NEET PG 2024 Counselling commenced around forty days back, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has not yet published the official schedule for the NEET PG 2024 Counselling on its website.

Meanwhile, the litigation seeking release of answer key of the NEET PG exam is still pending before the Apex Court and is scheduled for further hearing on November 19. Amid this situation, the medical aspirants are frustrated over the lack of clarity regarding the commencement of the NEET PG 2024 Counselling.

Raising the issue, senior doctors and medical associations have now started demanding immediate release of the counselling schedule in the social media platforms. Amid the situation, the National Medical Commission (NMC) recently wrote to the Union Health Ministry and informed its decision of permitting NBEMS to allow the States to create State-specific ranks only for the consumption of the State Quota seats for the NEET PG Counselling 2024. Consequently, several doctors have expressed their hope that the counselling might commence soon.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that after several controversies, NEET PG 2024 exam was held on August 11. However, despite the fact that the exam results were declared on August 23, the counselling process has not commenced yet. 

Several postgraduate medical aspirants who appeared in the NEET PG 2024 exam approached the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and shared their concerns over the delay in commencement of the examination. Sharing their concerns, the President of FAIMA, Dr. Suvrankar Datta wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "We have received messages and requests from aspirants and few RDAs to look into the matter of NEET PG Counselling. We have spoken to our executives, few aspirants and contacts in the NBE to figure out an amicable solution to this impasse."

"Unfortunately, it seems that there are a number of issues regarding petitioners who want more transparency as well as states who want NBE to release the marks. I cannot officially quote anyone, but the counselling may get significantly delayed if the Supreme Court does not pass a verdict on this soon. It is not good for anyone," he added.

An Orthopaedic surgeon, an activist and also a patrol of FAIMA, Dr. Rohan Krishnan also opined that MCC and the Union Health Ministry should conduct the NEET PG 2024 Counselling immediately as any delay is going to ruin the hard work and mental peace of students who had worked hard. He opined that there should not be a gap of six months between the exam date and the exam date.

"#MCC @MoHFW_INDIA @JPNadda Shod conduct #NEETPG2024Counselling immediately. Any delay is going to ruin the hard work and mental peace of students who had worked hard!!!! One cannot have a 6 months gap b/w exam date and admission date which has become a norm d/t faulty policy. Its high time that @MoHFW_INDIA don’t make excuses and blame everything on Court. !!!!" he wrote in a X post.

Meanwhile, noting that several states are facing difficulty in giving incentive marks to in-service candidates due to change in the NEET PG exam pattern, the National Medical Commission (NMC) decided to permit the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to allow the States to create State-specific ranks only for the consumption of the State Quota seats for the NEET PG Counselling 2024.

After the NMC's letter in this regard directed to the Union Health Ministry, several doctors have expressed their hope that with the bottleneck for the counselling removed, the counselling for admission to postgraduate medical courses may commence soon.

Amid this situation, the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has claimed that the counselling for NEET-PG 2024 would commence latest by 11th November, 2024.

"#NEETPG2024Counselling to begin latest by 11th of November. The 4 month delay makes the timeline for #2025 challenging. The vicious cycle continues for the 3rd year straight. Will this ever end? #NEETPG2024 #neetpgcounselling," the association wrote on X.

Also Read: NEET PG- NMC Allows NBE to facilitate counselling authorities to create state-specific ranks for in service quota admissions