Due to a lack of centres, several dental students appearing for the post-graduate entrance examination will have to travel hundreds of kilometres to take the competitive examination, stated a The New Indian Express report.
According to the list of centres issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), there are 56 centres to conduct the test compared to 76 in 2023.
When reached for comment, the Dental Council of India’s Secretary Vikas Chawda said the issue is outside the council’s purview.
Moreover, no centre has been allotted to Northeast states, Himachal Pradesh, and Union Territories, such as Kashmir, Chandigarh, and Puducherry.
A dental intern from Tripura said she had to opt for Bengaluru as no centre was assigned in the Northeast states. Last year, Agartala had one exam centre.
“I had to opt for Bengaluru since only this city was available for registration by the time I got eligible for the entrance exam. However, I’ll have to travel 3,500 kilometres from East India to Bengaluru in the South to take this exam. There is only one weekly train from Agartala, which takes 65 hours to get there. Flights are too costly, and I can’t afford them. All this is amid the preparation for the exam. I’m under so much stress and pain,” said Dr Sonakshi Deb.
An aspirant from Himachal Pradesh, Dr Vatsala Patiyal, said, "We are forced to choose centres far away from our hometown. Amid less time of preparation, it is an additional burden for us to manage tickets, travel, and lodging.”
In Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Kanpur are missing from the list this year, leaving the state with only two centres.
Earlier, The New Indian Express reported that over 6,000 dental students of the 2018 batch will miss the chance to appear for the MDS exam as they fail to fulfill the mandatory criteria of completing the internship. According to students, their curriculum was affected due to disruptions from Covid-19, which resulted in a delay in internships.
