#PostponeNEETPG2023: NEET PG 2023 aspirants complain about 3 years' delay, eligibility policy

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of medical aspirants continue to demand postponement of National Eligibility cum Entrance-Postgraduate (NEET PG 2023) exam by 2-3 months after the National Board of Examinations (NBE) announced the NEET PG 2023 exam date on January 6.

After numerous requests to extend the MBBS internship cut-off dates, the Union health ministry extended the MBBS internship cut-off date to June 30. However, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) and prospective candidates have been requesting the union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya to postpone the NEET PG 2023 due to insufficient time to prepare for exam and months gap between the exam and counselling. #PostponeNEETPG2023 is trending now on Twitter.

Meanwhile, doctors group, students and teachers have also raised concerns about the proposed draft regulations related to National Exit Test (NExT), which will be replacing the NEET PG exam.

Why are NEET PG 2023 aspirants demanding postponement?

Unhappy about the management for the past three years, medical aspirants flood Twitter with tweets on how the delays and decisions of NBE and Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) impacted the students. Let’s take a look at the timeline.

In February 2022, the NBE extended the deadline of internship completion for NEET PG 2022 to July 31.

A plea was filed for candidates to accommodate interns whose internship got delayed due to COVID-19 duties. The Supreme Court on February 8, 2022, heard the plea seeking extension of the NEET PG 2022 internship deadline and said it cannot interfere since it's a "policy domain".

However, it asked the aspirants to make a representation before the Centre seeking an extension of the May 31 deadline to complete the internship since they were in COVID duties in 2021.

On April 1, 2022, the MCC cancelled the NEET PG 2021 All India Quota (AIQ) mop-up round counselling following the Supreme Court order on March 30, 2022 directed the committee to cancel the mop-up round over anomalies in 146 fresh seats that were added after NEET PG 2021 counselling round 1 and 2. It also asked the MCC to hold a special counselling round for the new seats. This further increased confusion as many students had already attended the document verification in the allotted colleges.

The NEET PG 2022 date was initially scheduled to be held on March 12 and the last date to join after the NEET PG Counselling stray round is March 16, 2022. After taking into consideration students' requests, NEET PG 2022 exam was postponed to May 21. Aspirants demanded the health ministry, NBE to postpone the exam due to delay in completion of NEET PG 2021 counselling, less gap between entrance exam and counselling and ineligibility of 5,000 medical interns. However, the minister after a meeting refused to postpone the exam.

The NBE was also questioned over discrepancies in the NEET PG 2022 results. Over 400 aspirants had alleged errors in the results.

#PostponeNEETPG2023

This year too, majority of students have been demanding postponement stating that the gap between NEET PG 2023 exam date on March 5 and counselling will leave interns with no job for nearly 4-5 months.

However, the national chairman FAIMA doctors association founding member, Rohan Krishnan said, “NEET PG will not be postponed as of now. We are trying to persuade ministery for the same but we are helpless sometimes. So, Requesting you guys to focus on studying, I will update abt any positive development. NEET MDS may get extension of eligibility same as NEET PG.”

NEET PG will not be postponed as of now.

We are trying to persuade ministery for the same but we are helpless sometimes.

So, Requesting you guys to focus on studying, I will update abt any positive development.

NEET MDS may get extension of eligibility same as NEET PG.

— Dr. Rohan Krishnan (@DrRohanKrishna3) January 22, 2023

National vice-president of United Doctors Front Association (UDFA), Lakshya Mittal said, Have words with Former DGHS, health ministry regarding #NEETPG2023. Accordingly, @NMC_IND should be “Student-Centric” & should listen to the genuine demands of aspirants for #PostponeNEETPG2023 with immediate effect & requesting HM @mansukhmandviya ji to intervene.”

Have words with Former DGHS @DghsIndia @MoHFW_INDIA regarding #NEETPG2023
Accordingly, @NMC_IND should be “Student-Centric” & should listen to the genuine demands of aspirants for #PostponeNEETPG2023 with immediate effect & requesting HM @mansukhmandviya ji to intervene. pic.twitter.com/5z9Sk5HNFT

— DR.LAKSHYA MITTAL (@drlakshyamittal) January 20, 2023

“Kindly postpone neet pg for 1-2 months as taking exam on 5th march and waiting for 3-4 months for counselling is not going to benefit neet pg aspirants,” another medical aspirant said.

Kindly postpone neet pg for 1-2 months as taking exam on 5th march and waiting for 3-4 months for counselling is not going to benefit neet pg aspirants @NMC_IND @IMAIndiaOrg@NBEMS_INDIA @MoHFW_INDIA@PMOIndia @neetpg2023#NEETPG23 #postponeneetpg #PostponeNEETPG2023 @BJP4India pic.twitter.com/XZnSinYRLy

— aakriti Khajuria (@DrAakriti02) January 22, 2023

Requesting to postpone NEET PG 2023 exam, an aspirant tweeted, “We served the Nation during #covid without asking anything in return.”

We served the Nation during #covid without asking anything n return. Now we have simple demand @DrBharatippawar @NMC_IND @MoHFW_INDIA @mansukhmandviya @drdeepankar07 please #PostponeNEETPG2023 #POSTPONENEETPG23 pic.twitter.com/JZO00gzqCH

— Ahmed (@doctor_ahmed9) January 22, 2023