‘Anti-student’: AISA, FAIMA, others condemn NEET PG postponement; demand explanation, probe

NEW DELHI: Disappointed over the postponement of NEET PG 2024, various student and medical groups attacked the Narendra Modi government and demanded an explanation. AISA, FAIMA, SFI, and others called the recent cancellation and postponement of several exams as ‘anti-student’ and declared NTA as ‘incompetent’.

The Ministry of Health postponed the National Eligibility Entrance Test - Postgraduate (NEET PG) exam scheduled for June 23 “to maintain the sanctity of examination process” and informed that the new NEET PG exam date will be notified soon.

Recently, the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) June 2024 exam was cancelled and a NEET re-exam was announced for over 1,500 candidates. The education ministry admitted that the UGC NET exam may be compromised and later it was reported that the paper was leaked on the dark net. In case of NEET, the Supreme Court cancelled the NEET results 2024 of 1,563 students who were given grace marks and NTA proposed re-NEET for them.

NEET PG 2024 Postponed: Complaints, demands of students

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) dubbed the decision ‘harassment of doctors’ and demanded an explanation. Taking to X, the association said, “Absolutely disgraceful! NEET PG exam postponed again, just a day before it was scheduled! This is pathetic harassment of doctors who traveled, spent money, and sacrificed time. Govt's incompetence in managing a well-planned exam is unacceptable. We demand an immediate explanation!”

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI), on the other hand, demanded scrapping of NTA altogether, resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, and compensation to students affected by ‘untimely’ postponement of exams. The student group condemned the move calling it ‘anti-student’ and said that firing NTA DG will not save the education ministry from students’ wrath.

“We, the Students' Federation of India, Central Executive Committee, strongly condemn the ongoing anti-student activities perpetrated by the Union Ministry and the NTA. Sacking the NTA Director for appearances will not save the ministry from the ongoing student wrath. We affirm that the student community is united against the Union Ministry due to the numerous national exam discrepancies in recent days,” said SFI in an official statement. The federation warned the Modi government of protests if the demands were not met.

This government shall be remembered for the number of paper leaks it has enabled, said the All India Students’ Association (AISA), and mentioned that the Centre offered to conduct re-exam for 1,563 NEET candidates, cancelled UGC NET June 2024 after the conduct of exam, and postponed NEET PG 2024.

'Sacking' of NTA DG

Commenting on the replacement of NTA DG, AISA said, “By changing the director of NTA, the Modi Government has categorically accepted that the functioning of the premier body has been dubious and filled with malpractices right from the beginning.”

The students’ association said that the Modi government cannot get away with a replacement of officials and demanded criminal action against Subodh Kumar Singh as well as the UGC chief Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar.

AISA expressed concern over the expected delay in the academic session once again as the CUET UG, PG results 2024 have not been declared yet, thereby causing anxiety amongst students and parents.

Also read NEET was far from fair even before this year's grace marks, paper-leak controversies

“A government that has claimed that there is no wrongdoing, has, in the last week, postponed NEET PG in the eleventh hour, without citing any reason whatsoever, and when candidates appearing for the exams are travelling to their exam centres! Why has the exam been postponed? Why was UGC NET cancelled? If there was no malpractice or corruption in NEET UG, why did the government concede before the Supreme Court?,” the students’ group asked.

AISA demanded a judicial enquiry to probe the role of Dharmendra Pradhan, UGC chief Jagadesh Kumar and the former NTA DG Subodh Kumar for ‘having destroyed the lives of lakhs of students.’