The Indian Medical Association (IMA) urged Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday to postpone the NEET PG test, which was initially intended for May 21. The organization claimed the time between the NEET PG 2022 exam date and the conclusion of 2021 counseling is too short for a candidate to study and participate in such an "extremely challenging exam," citing the delay in All India Quota (AIQ) counseling for NEET PG 2021.
Due to Covid-19, the NEET-PG 2021 was held five months later than planned, and counseling, which was supposed to begin on October 25, 2021, began in January due to a delayed decision on seat reservations. It was further delayed by the Supreme Court's judgment on March 31, 2022, which ordered the cancellation of the Mop-up round and the holding of a special round of counseling.
"Another five to ten thousand innocent interns who served as COVID warriors during the COVID-19 pandemic are ineligible to appear for NEET-PG due to a delay in completing their final examination and, as a result, their internship surpassed the eligibility criteria set for the examination," the IMA wrote.
The IMA emphasized the necessity to postpone NEET 2022 tests, citing scenarios and Supreme Court decisions on the scheduling for postgraduate degrees, as it "concerns career pathways of lakhs of medical graduates."
"Since the NEET PG 2022 examination date is 21st May 2022, we request your immediate intervention and urgent consideration of postponing the NEET PG 2022 examination for a reasonable period of time, so that current NEET PG 2021 aspirants have adequate time to prepare and appear for the upcoming NEET-PG 2022 examination, and the eligibility of all interns is also ensured," the IMA said.
They also added "We are sure that the matter will be addressed urgently by granting the prayer as requested herein in the larger academic and societal interest"