Fact Check: Posts claiming Northeastern States do not have NEET MDS exam centres are False
New Delhi: Calling out that various media and social media reports claiming that there are no examination centres for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Master of Dental Surgery (NEET-MDS) in the Northeastern States, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has issued a clarification in this regard.
Calling these claims as FALSE, the Union Health Ministry informed that examination centres have been allotted in Shillong, Naharlagun, Kohima Aizawl, Guwahati and Kolkata.
The Claim:
The NEET MDS 2024 exam is scheduled to be conducted on March 18, 2024. Recently, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) extended the deadline for completion of BDS internship till June 30, 2024. After extending the Internship Deadline, NBE opened a second application window for the newly eligible candidates.
Also Read: NEET MDS 2024 registration deadline ends today
While the exam is less than a week away, many a posts like this post claimed that no exam centres have been allotted for NEET MDS for the northeastern States.
Fact Check:
Calling that these claims are FALSE, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently issued a release, which was shared by the Press Information Bureau (PIB). Referring to these reports , the Ministry mentioned in the release, "Such reports are not accurate".
Informing the public about the availability of NEET MDS 2024 exam centres in the north-eastern States, the Ministry added, "There are examination centres in north-eastern states. There is a centre in Shillong, Naharlagun, Kohima, Aizawl, Guwahati and Kolkata."
Further, the Ministry clarified that in the second application window for NEET-MDS 2024 which closed on 11-March-2024, only 560 candidates registered.
Although the NEET MDS 2024 examination is scheduled to be conducted on March 18, 2024 by the National Board of Examinations (NBE), the NEET MDS aspirants had been demanding the postponement of the exam to July. Taking to social media, they have highlighted 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 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 had been demanding that the NEET MDS exam also get postponed till July.
Meanwhile, recently, the Dental Council of India (DCI) issued a notice and announced that the counselling session will be held separately for NEET MDS 2024 before NEET PG Medical Counselling.
The DCI notice stated, "It is hereby informed to all MDS aspirants that the Govt. of India may conduct the counselling session for NEET-MDS 2024 separately and before NEET PG Medical Counselling."
