With just 10 days until the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Masters of Dental Surgery (NEET-MDS) exam 2024, the aspirants’ fight for the postponement of the examination is still ongoing.
On Thursday, March 7, a number of aspiring dental surgeons approached the Supreme Court of India for the second time for an urgent hearing seeking postponement of the examination to July 2024, in parity with NEET-PG 2024.
This comes despite the recent notice released by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), extending the cut-off date for completion of the internship for eligibility in NEET-MDS 2024.
The students have highlighted that a large number of BDS graduates are being rendered ineligible for the entrance examination due to ‘faulty eligibility criteria’ as many students do not conclude their internships till August-September 2024.
Even after the extension in cut-off criteria granted on March 7 by NBEMS, close to 6,000 students are still left ineligible, they claim.
While the future of the examination is still unclear, here is a timeline of events in the NEET-MDS 2024 issue so far:
November 9, 2023: NBEMS releases the tentative dates for NEET-MDS (February 9, 2024) and NEET-PG 2024 (March 3, 2024)
January 9, 2024: NBEMS postpones the NEET-PG 2024 exam to July 7, 2024 and the cut-off date for completion of the internship to August 15, 2024, after receiving representation from students and medical associations
January 11, 2024: After the postponement of NEET-PG 2024, medical associations like the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) along with NEET MDS aspirants urge NBEMS and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to release the official date for NEET-MDS 2024
January 17, 2024: News report by wire agency ANI quotes official sources saying the exam is likely to be held in the third week of March 2024
Aspirants, along with medical associations, turn to social media platforms seeking clarity on the schedule for NEET MDS 2024 and its cut-off date for completion of the internship. The aspirants demand that the exam be scheduled in July 2024, in sync with its medical counterpart, NEET-PG 2024.
January 20, 2024: Barely 20 days before the tentative date for NEET MDS 2024, NBEMS releases notice scheduling the exam for March 18, 2024.
Protesting against the notification, aspirants launch X (formerly Twitter) campaigns using hashtags #postponeneetmds2024tilljuly, #NEETMDS2024POSTPONEMENT, and #POSTPONENEETMDS2024.
An online petition is also started seeking the postponement of NEET MDS 2024, which received over 8,000 signatures from aspiring dental surgeons across the country.
All India Students' Union (AISU) comes in support of the protesting students and writes a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urging for the postponement
January 31, 2024: NBEMS releases online application forms for NEET MDS 2024 as well as the information bulletin for the examination. According to the information bulletin, the cut-off date for completion of the internship is March 31, 2024.
The notice creates confusion among students who claim more than 8,000 students will not be able to finish their internships before the cut-off date due to COVID-induced delays, barring them from the exam.
February 16, 2024: Two candidates approach the Supreme Court urging for the postponement of the NEET MDS exam and revision of the cut-off date for completion of the internships.
February 21, 2024: Refusing to interfere in the matter, the Supreme Court disposes of the petition, directing the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to “take a call” on the matter within a week.
The matter was heard by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
March 7, 2024: No response from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare or the Dental Commission of India (DCI) regarding the petitions even after over two weeks of the Supreme Court’s notice.
Support from medical associations like FORDA, FAIMA, National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and even politicians like Congress leader Shashi Tharoor continues to pour in for NEET-MDS 2024 aspirants.
March 7, 2024: A new notice by the NBEMS extends the cut-off date for completion of the internship for eligibility in NEET-MDS till June 30, 2024. The exam dates remain unchanged.
Aspirants approach the Supreme Court for the second time seeking an urgent hearing for the postponement of NEET MDS 2024. A hearing date is yet to be notified.
Students claim that the notice is "unfair" as there are still over 5,000 dental interns across India yet to be eligible for the exam as their internship doesn’t end till August or September 2024.
