Reschedule NEET MDS 2024, doctors’ association urges Mansukh Mandaviya

NEW DELHI: An association of doctors has urged the union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya to reschedule the National Eligibility Entrance Test - Master of Dental Surgery (NEET MDS) 2024 to accommodate maximum aspirants. NEET MDS 2024 is scheduled for March 18, 2024.

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) wrote a letter to the health minister and demanded to postpone the NEET MDS exam to a later date, preferably in July. The doctors’ body said that as many as 4,607 candidates are ineligible for the entrance exam due to the internship cut-off date set by the National Board of Examinations (NBE). The cut-off date for completion of internship is March 31.

FAIMA argued that these students served the nation during Covid compromising their professional years which resulted in delay in completion of internships. The doctors’ group also found that there is much confusion about the exam due to which students will not be able to perform well in the exam.

“Considering the above facts and issues being faced by the dental students of our country, we humbly request you to postpone the NEET MDS 2024 exam to a later date preferably in July 2024, so that there shall be not be any injustice done to the dentists/doctors who served the nation during the most crucial times of Covid-19 pandemic,” FAIMA said in the letter.

Recently, the health ministry said in an RTI reply that the request to postpone NEET MDS 2024 is ‘under process’.

Various other organizations have been demanding postponement of the exam. Last month, the Supreme Court refused to take a decision on extension of internship cut-off date saying that the central government should take a call.

In a notification issued on January 20, NBE postponed the exam to March 18. Initially, the NEET MDS 2024 was scheduled to be held on February 9.