Health ministry postpones NEET-PG exam by 6-8 weeks ahead of SC hearing

The Union health ministry has postponed the NEET-PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test- Post Graduation) 2022 examination date by at least six to eight weeks.

In an order issued on Thursday, the director of health services wrote, "I am directed to say that lot of representations were being received from medical doctors regarding request to delay NEET-PG-2022 examination date i.e. 12.03.22 as published in Information Bulletin by NBE since it is clashing with the NEET PG 2021 counselling. Also, many of the interns would not be able to participate in the PG Counselling 2022 by the month of May/2022."

The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear a plea on the postponement of the examination on Friday.

The plea was filed on January 25. Six MBBS students approached the apex court as many requirements like mandatory internship etc were not fulfilled by many aspirants. Many internships got halted because of their Covid duty, they said.

According to one of the NEET PG regulations, 30 beds of a hospital have to be assigned to one unit of students pursuing the PG course and now two students of two academic sessions will have to be accommodated in the same facility, the plea said.

There was a delay in conducting the exams in 2021 which was owing to the pandemic situation. Many MBBS graduated are yet to complete their intership, without completing which they will not be eligible for the entrance exam this year.

The Supreme Court, on January 7, had paved the way for resuming the stalled NEET-PG 2021 counselling process based on the existing 27 per cent OBC and 10 per cent EWS reservations in the All India Quota seats, saying there is an "urgent need" to begin the admission process.