Postpone INI CET 2021, demand aspirants; many on COVID-19 duty

NEW DELHI: Doctors hoping to pursue postgraduate studies in medicine are demanding that the Institutes of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INI CET 2021) be postponed. On May 27, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) which conducts the entrance exam for postgraduate medicine, announced new dates for it. INI CET 2021 is scheduled for June 16. The aspirants says the examinations have been scheduled on very short notice, while they are still working as front-line workers on COVID-19 duties.

The INI CET is the exam for admission to postgraduate courses in leading government medical institutes in the country including AIIMS, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) Puducherry and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru. The INI-CET regulates admission to around 800 seats for which more than 80,000 candidates appear. Meanwhile, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for postgraduate courses, or NEET PG 2021, was postponed by four months in early May, on the instructions of the prime minister, Narendra Modi. PM Modi also approved the deployment of MBBS interns in COVID wards.

“Government called us for 100 days of duty due to the second wave of COVID-19, offered us PM Samman certificates and assured us that medical exams will not be conducted before August 31,” said Soumya Thakur, an aspirant. “But AIIMS has announced the date of examination on June 16. Due to this, many of us are in great trouble, especially those who joined COVID duty. We are working 10-12 hrs per day, and haven't even met our families.” She added that COVID-duty has left them little time to prepare and the exam’s being scheduled on such short notice is “unfair”.

#postponeINICET We are the same people who will be giving #NEETPG We were doing our preparations well, Why did u interfere then to postpone NEET & ask us to join Covid Duties & Now announcing #INICET on such a short notice.@narendramodi @PMOIndia @drharshvardhan #postponeINICET pic.twitter.com/jsKZkicLqd

— Dr SushilKumar S K (@SushilK86196792) June 3, 2021

INI CET 2021 and COVID duty

Shreshth Sharma, another aspirant said: “This is not the right time to conduct the examination. We are still involved in Covid duty and are completely busy with that.”

The INI CET 2021 exam was originally scheduled for May 8 but AIIMS postponed it following the same meeting with PM Modi that led to the decision on NEET PG 2021 However, on May 27, it announced new dates of exams.

Many of the doctors have signed bonds for three months and to leave duty, they need to inform one month in advance. “We demand at least one-month prior notice to resign from duties and that competent authorities reconsider their decision to conduct exams at such a short notice,” said Lovepreet.

Please understand our situation and postpone INICET#postponeINICET#NarendraModi pic.twitter.com/33jCcHV76r

— Rashee Agarwal (@RasheeAgarwal1) May 28, 2021

Students are also claiming that the examination centres were chosen two months back and due to COVID-related work they have moved from their selected locations. They also want to know how they can travel to and fro given the extended lockdowns in many states.

#postponeINICET2021, letter to AIIMS director

Students are demanding on Twitter that the exam be postponed by tagging their posts with #postponeINICET2021. However, they do not want it cancelled. Vivek Kumar, another aspirant pointed out that there are 19 subjects for INI CET, and they do not have even 15 days time left to prepare.

The students have written to AIIMS New Delhi director, Randeep Guleria, requesting him to postpone the examination. The letter says: “Recent announcement of INI-CET on June 16 has created a panic among all of us since we were targeting the exam seriously. We request you to postpone the exam by at least two to three weeks.”

#postponeinicet trend
Postpone inicet 2021 June
Sudden announcement of exam date is injustice to our years of hardwork
Plz postpone inicet@drharshvardhan @PMOIndia @mkstalin @aajtak @ABPNews @ndtv @KTRTRS pic.twitter.com/UhjAfUxZhZ

— dr N (@Nida45032987) June 1, 2021

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