The NEET PG (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Postgraduate) 2023 registrations ended on January 27 as per the given schedule. So far, the exam is scheduled to be conducted on March 5, but students' demands for postponement haven't seen an end.
They have been using the hashtag #NEETPG2023 to express why they are demanding a postponement. Let's look at some of these reasons in today's FAQ via the tweets on Twitterverse.
Some students were rendered ineligible
"Over 8k students are still ineligible and the gap between #neetpg2023exam and counselling is 4-5 months after NEET PG exam so demand for NEET PG postponement is valid. Should #NEETPG be postponed for 7-8 weeks??" said SK Singh ( @SMEDUCATIONSERV).
"Each year thousands of doctors suffer. This year 10k interns are ineligible for #NEETPG2023 and thousands of #NEETMDS2023 students are suffering. Please ensure eligibility extension and #POSTPONENEETPG23 & #Postponeneetmds2023 #postponeneetpg2023," said a Twitter handle - Indian Doctor.
"Many interns have requested for a further extension of the eligibility criteria for NEET PG 2023, since almost 10000+ interns from the states of MP, Telangana, Pondicherry, Jharkhand, Bihar, J&K, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and few colleges in UP and Tamil Nadu are ineligible! @NMC_IND," said Dr Suvrankar Datta ( @DrDatta_AIIMS).
Long gap between exams and counselling
NBE (National Board of Examinations) has fixed the exam date for March 5 and the results would be out by March 31, but students said that they will not be able to participate in the medical counselling process which would be held in July unless they complete their one-year internship.
Owing to this, there will be a long gap for the students to attempt the NEET PG examination and they are requesting the authorities to postpone the examination by six to eight weeks.
"The counselling for the exam will only start after the internship eligibility criteria ends, so if conducted on 5th march students will have to sit at home for months to come. This is not the ideal situation we should put our youth in, better to postpone the exam and give students the right amount of time be it pre or post exams," said Dr Maulik.A.Thakkar (@_drthakkar).
"The 5-6 months gap between exam and counselling start is totally Injustice and mental trauma for young doctors. Please postpone NEETPG23 by 2-3 months," said Sowndharya ( @drizzleriya25).
COVID-19 related consequences
"Please take action, COVID-19 has uprooted a lot of lives, and this led to delays in exams and start of the internship. Students should be payable for these circumstances and should be given equal opportunity," said Apoorv Bhatia (@apoorvbhatia).
"No one is listening to the genuine demand of #NEETPG2023 aspirants to extend the eligibility date and postpone the exam by 4-6 weeks? Pls look into matter we served nation during covid and now no one is ready to listen to us," said Ratna (@Ratna93593792).
Are there opposing voices too?
A few aspirants, however, do not want the postponement.
"There are also 70-80k serious aspirants who have been toiling hard from a year with the date (5th march) set in mind and revised accordingly which will now be completely shattered if the postponement happens," said Krishna (@Krishnakk1590).
"Kindly do not postpone NEET PG 2023. Because it will be unfair to students who are preparing for 1 year. Also COVID cases are rising and postponement will only create national deficiency of doctors," said Moulima (@GhantaMoulima).
