NEET PG 2024 revised city allotment, NBEMS viral ‘confidential’ letter leave aspirants jittery

NEW DELHI: Some NEET PG 2024 candidates have been re-allotted exam cities following the controversy over far-off centres and requests made to the Union health minister JP Nadda to intervene. However, the National Eligibility Entrance Test - Postgraduate (NEET PG) aspirants are still unhappy as some haven’t received any email regarding NEET PG centre allotment while others have been re-allocated to not-so-favorable cities.

An email sent by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) read, “Dear Candidate, This is with reference to your application for NEET-PG 2024 bearing application ID The test city allotted to candidates was communicated vide email on 31.07.2024. On receipt of representations, NBEMS has engaged more test centres to accommodate the maximum possible candidates within their States of Correspondence address. In view of the above, you have been allotted DIBRUGARH, ASSAM as test city for NEET PG 2024. No change in test city allotted shall be considered. The test centre venue and examination shift shall be indicated in the admit card to be issued on 8th August 2024.”

In a letter to the health minister, the Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors’ Network requested him to address the issues faced by the candidates who have not been allotted centres within their states. The medical group thanked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and health minister for their ‘prompt response’ and extended its gratitude to the NBE for engaging more test centres to accommodate the maximum NEET PG aspirants.

“The present students are the future of India and it is crucial that important competitive exams are conducted with the utmost diligence and confidentiality. IMA Junior Doctors Network not only welcomes the government's decision but also appreciate the timely steps taken in this regard,” it said.

NEET PG a 'joke'

Several candidates expressed their agony on the social media. An aspirant said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), “Changing test cities of some aspirants just to create trouble for others; the joke of NBEMS while conducting NEET PG 2024 continues. It's just creating a lot of pressure on med students,” and suggested postponement of the exam to give enough test centres, conduct exam in a single shift with no normalization, and take measures to stop paper leak.

A doctor wrote on X, “How can a pregnant lady of 36 weeks of GA travel 250 km just to appear for an exam though first preference choice was within 50 km. NBEMS forcing her not to appear exam, then what is the meaning of centre in the same state.”

“NBEMS has failed to allot centres near to our city. They just changed cities for merely 10 percent of the students last night, to prove in front of you that they did their job, but 90 percent of candidates are still in the same situation. Kindly look into this matter. We are still struggling with high prices of flight tickets, waiting lists for train tickets and expensive hotels,” said another doctor and urged the board to look into the matter urgently and take action.

NBEMS ‘confidential letter’ viral

Amid the NEET PG city allotment 2024 row, an NBEMS ‘confidential’ letter containing details on the number of candidates and exam shifts has gone viral on social media. Sharing the letter on X, the All FMGs Association asked that if a confidential letter can be “leaked”, how one can be sure about the exam security.

According to the NBEMS letter, a total of 2,28,542 candidates are going to appear for NEET PG 2024. The exam will be held in two shifts – morning shift from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and the afternoon shift from 3:30 pm to 7 pm. The entry of candidates will commence from 7 am for the morning shift and 1:30 pm for the afternoon shift. The mode of the exam will be computer-based, requiring “heavy use of IT infrastructure”. The letter also contains the list of examination centres.

A doctor slammed the medical board for the alleged “leak” of the letter and called the exam a joke. “Not even "confidential" documents are safe in NBEMS. NEET PG 2024 is just a big joke now, isn't it? Unfortunately Indian doctors are taking the brunt of this incompetence,” she said in a post.