On June 22, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBE) announced that the National Eligibility Entrance Test for Postgraduate Courses (NEET PG) 2024 has been postponed. This decision follows recent allegations concerning the integrity of several competitive examinations in the country.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare explained that the postponement was a precautionary measure to maintain the integrity of the NEET-PG entrance examination. The ministry added that a thorough assessment of the examination processes would be conducted to ensure their integrity and fairness.
The postponement has left candidates feeling agitated and frustrated. Many claim the decision was made at the last minute, allegedly just 12 hours before the examination, by which time several students had already traveled to their examination centers from their hometowns.
One such student, Sunanda Pansari, shared her ordeal in an interview with ANI. She recounted that she had already traveled 600 kilometers to appear for the NEET PG examination. She expressed her frustration, calling the situation harassment towards the students.
Sunanda Pansari stated, "This is extremely wrong. I have travelled 600 km to attend the exam. The exam was initially scheduled for March, then postponed to July, and now it's been postponed again. This is harassment towards students."
Her sentiments were echoed by many others on social media. One user commented, "Competitive exams have become a joke in this country," reflecting the widespread frustration among candidates.
According to reports, the NEET PG examination was originally scheduled for March, then postponed to July, and subsequently rescheduled to June. Now, the NBE has postponed the examination once more, stating in its latest notice that the new examination date will be announced soon.
Another student criticized the Ministry of Education for the postponement of the NEET PG 2024 examination, expressing their disappointment on social media.
In the backdrop of these events, the National Board of Examination had previously cautioned against individuals on social media offering the question paper to aspirants for a considerable sum of money, highlighting concerns about the exam's integrity.
The NEET controversy has also brought the central government under severe criticism over irregularities in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam conducted in May this year. The examination, held on May 5 across 4,750 centers, saw around 24 lakh candidates appearing. The results, expected on June 14, were announced on June 4, with an unprecedented 67 students scoring a perfect 720. This included six students from a single center in Haryana's Faridabad, raising suspicions about irregularities.
Further controversy surrounded the awarding of "grace marks" to several students to compensate for the loss of time at six centers. The government told the court that the grace marks would be scrapped, offering over 1,500 students another chance to retake the test.
The ongoing issues and allegations of irregularities have led to widespread dissatisfaction and concern among students and their families, questioning the fairness and reliability of these crucial examinations.
