The Pondicherry State Student and Parents’ Welfare Association has urged the Union Health Ministry to allocate more regional examination centres for the upcoming National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2025 examination, scheduled for August 3.

In a memorandum submitted to Dr Abhijat Sheth, President of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), Association President V Bala Balasubramanian raised concerns about the limited number of centres available in the Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry, as reported by The Hindu.

Citing a Supreme Court directive, the memorandum noted that NEET PG will be held in a single shift across designated centres in various states.

However, Puducherry, despite offering 465 PG medical seats across three private medical colleges, four deemed universities, and one government medical college, has only four centres, located in Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam.

With over 2,000 aspirants from the Union Territory (UT) registered for the exam, many have been allotted exam centres in distant states, some reportedly over 1,000 km away from their hometowns.

The association has requested NBEMS to increase the number of centres in and around Puducherry, allowing students to write the exam closer to home, added The Hindu.

A similar concern was raised for Tamil Nadu, where nearly 20,000 candidates have registered for PG medical admissions. Despite having 24 centres, around 5,000 candidates have been assigned centres in neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala.

The association stressed that expanding the number of centres would help reduce the logistical burden and mental stress on candidates preparing for such a crucial examination.