With NExT deferred till further notice, Medicos seek refund of mock test fees

New Delhi: With the National Medical Commission (NMC) deferring the National Exit Test (NExT) until further notice from the Health ministry, the doctors and aspirants for NExT have now started demanding a refund of the money that was collected for the NExT mock test.

While some of the students have demanded clarity regarding the matter, some of the students and members of the medical fraternity have opined on Twitter that the fees collected from the students should be refunded.

Releasing the information brochure for NExT exam, NMC had earlier informed that a mock/practice test for NExT would be conducted on July 28, 2023, and the registration for the same started on June 28, 2023.

The application fee for the test was fixed at Rs 2,000 for the candidates belonging to the General and OBC categories. For the applicants belonging to the SC, ST, and EWS categories, the application fee was Rs 1,000. Meanwhile, the Persons with Disabilities were not charged any fees for appearing in the mock test.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that soon after the Information Brochure was published, the medical students who were going to appear in the NExT exam and the doctors expressed their disappointment with this rule of charging fees for appearing in the mock test.

Also Read: Breaking News: NMC finally defers NExT exam

The aspirants and the doctors slammed NMC and alleged that charging such huge fees was another way for the authorities to earn money. They were demanding that the mock/practice examination should be free of charge and the aspirants should be allowed to appear in it from their homes.

Earlier PTI had reported that the Union Health Ministry had asked NMC to consider waiving the mock test fees and following this, deliberations reportedly began at the apex medical education regulatory body NMC.

Amidst the confusion among students regarding the National Exit Test examination, now NMC has announced that the exam has been deferred till further notice from the Union Health Ministry.

Issuing a public notice, NMC informed that the exam has been deferred on the advice of the Ministry and mentioned, "All the stakeholders are hereby informed that the National Exit Test (NExT) examination is deferred on the advice of the Ministry, dated 11.07.2023, till further directions from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare."

Following the announcements from NMC, the doctors and students started demanding clarity regarding the huge fees that were collected from the students for appearing in the mock/practice test examination conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.

Referring to the matter, a final year MBBS student mentioned in a Tweet, "What about the registration fee we paid for #NEXT mock test scheduled on 28th of july.will that be refunded or not."

Demanding an immediate refund of money, another student mentioned, "As the @NMC_IND has issued notice regarding deferment of NExt exam for 2019 batch, we demand for immediate clarification on upcoming mock test for NExT by @aiims_newdelhi and if to get cancelled, an immediate refund of money for those who have submitted form. #NONEXTFOR2019BATCH."

Slamming the whole process of collecting fees for a mock test and deferring next exam and not refunding the mock test fees, a doctor termed it to be "Paisa kamane ki ninja technique."

Extending support to the students, the former national president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr. J.A.Jayalal also opined that the mock test fees should be refunded to the students. "Will the NMC cancel the mock test as NeXT exams are deferred.Many students have registered with fee.NMC should return money to them . It should start discussions with all stakeholders to formulate neXT without coupling it with for registration and shall be announced 5 years ahead," Dr. Jayalal mentioned in a Tweet.

Urging the Health Ministry and NMC to return the fees to the students, social and political activist Dr. Vivek Pandey mentioned in a Tweet, "Maximum students paid Next mock test fees. As health ministry already asked NMC to waive the registration fees. It's a request to @MoHFW_INDIA @NMC_IND @aiims_newdelhi to return exam fees to students. @mansukhmandviya."

Similar opinion has been expressed by the General Secretary of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), Dr. Sarvesh Pandey as well. In a Tweet, he also opined that with the exam getting postponed, the authorities should refund the mock test fees to them.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues in this regard, Dr. Pandey said, "Now that the exam has been postponed till indefinite time, they should get a refund of the fees they paid for the mock test immediately."

Also Read: Waive off NExT mock test fee: Health Ministry asks NMC