Conduct NEET PG 2023 Counselling At least a month before MBBS Internship Deadline: Doctors urge Health Minister

New Delhi: Referring to the delay in NEET PG counselling in the last two years, the doctors under Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) recently wrote to the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya requesting him to expedite the counselling process of NEET PG 2023.

In its recent letter addressed to the Health Minister, FORDA suggested to conduct the counselling for NEET PG 2023 in the first or second week of July i.e. at least a month before the last date of eligibility in August.

Despite several requests from the students for postponement, the Union Health Ministry authorities denied to change the date of the examination with an aim to get the messed up academic calendar back on track. Accordingly, NBE conducted the examination on the scheduled date on March 5, 2023 and finally the results were announced on March 14, 2023.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that even though NBE had first fixed the deadline for completing MBBS internship on March 31, 2023, it was later extended twice, so that all the candidates could appear in the PG medical entrance examination. Initially, NBE had extended the cut off date for MBBS Internship till June 30, 2023 but later it was extended up to August 11, 2023.

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Earlier, while responding to the requests of students across the country for postponing the NEET PG 2023 exam, the Minister informed the Lok Sabha that since the exam date had been announced around five months back, the students should not face any problem to prepare for the exam.

The Health Minister had also pointed out the practice of continuous delays in the exam and how the academic calendar got messed up due to COVID-19 pandemic and opined that the academic schedule needs be to made right again.

Referring to the fact how the academic calendar got affected in the last two years, FORDA mentioned in its recent letter to the Health Minister, "As you are aware, over the past two years, NEET PG has been one of the most affected exams across India due to various reasons. In our multiple correspondences with your esteemed office. We have unfailingly stood for the welfare and in the larger interest of the aspirant community of this country."

In this context, FORDA also referred to the Health Minister's clarification regarding NEET PG postponement and how the exam could not be deferred because the Ministry was trying to make the academic calendar right.

"Recently, in a parliamentary session, you had addressed the consistent efforts of your office to bring back the academic calendar on track by conducting the NEET PG 2023 exam on 5th March. While the fundamental idea is appreciable, there was a huge unrest in the NEET PG aspirant community regarding the long gap between the exam and the possible start of counselling. which could only begin after the last date of completion, i.e., 11th August 2023," FORDA mentioned in the letter.

"We believe that the declaration of NEET PG result yesterday is the first of many steps taken in the right direction and is an applaudable effort. Considering these events and in harmony with the intent of your office to bring back the academic calendar on track and to address the major bone of contention of students, we respectfully suggest the following:

Conduct first counselling for NEET PG 2023 at least a month before the last date of eligibility in August (we suggest in the first/second week of July)," the letter further added.

"We remain hopeful that these measures will immensely help the students who are currently facing a period of uncertainty regarding the entire timeline post-exam and are worried about the long gap between the exam and counselling. We hope that your office will take concrete steps in this regard soon," it mentioned.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues in this regard, Dr Sarvesh Kumar Pandey, general secretary of FORDA said, "First of all, we want to thank the Health Minister for declaring the result within such a short span of time. However, if they want to get the academic calendar back on track, the counselling must not be delayed."

"We have requested the Health Minister for conducting the counselling at least a month before the cut-off date for completing MBBS Internship on August 11. There are not many students who will complete the MBBS Internship in August. So, the authorities could provisionally allow these candidates to appear in the counselling process and they can join the courses later after completing their internship," he further added.

Earlier, demanding the authorities to postpone the exam by few months, the NEET PG aspirants had pointed out that with the MBBS internship deadline getting extended till August 11, 2023, the counselling process cannot start before August/ September. They had also expressed their doubts about the a possible gap of five months between the date of NEET PG exam and the commencement of the counselling process.

Also Read: Demand for NEET PG postponement reverberates in Parliament