ABVP meets Health Minister for postponement of NEET-PG. Says decision expected shortly

With the Supreme Court refusing to postpone the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) exam, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare seems to be the last resort for the aspirants. The NEET-PG 2022 exam is set to be conducted the day after tomorrow, on May 21.

A delegation of representatives of the RSS-affiliated student organisation, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, (ABVP), met with the Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in order to share their concerns regarding the scheduling of the NEET-PG exam and request for a deferment. 

Apart from the demand for the postponement, the delegation also requested the health minister to consider reopening the registration link for the exam so that students whose seat allotments were cancelled in the ongoing NEET-PG 2021 counselling can have a shot at applying for the NEET-PG 2022 exam. The meeting lasted for three hours and was the second such meeting the ABVP has had with the health minister since the demands for postponement of the NEET-PG 2022 exam have been raised by the students.

In a chat with EdexLive after the meeting, the National Media Convenor of the ABVP, Sidharth Yadav, said that they are expecting the health ministry to issue a notice with their decision on the matter soon. "We are being told that high level meetings at the ministry are being done to find the solution for students. We appeal to all students to continue preparing for the exam while we hope for a remedy in the current scenario," said Yadav.

This "solution" or "relief" is being sought for the students demanding postponement of the exam on grounds that they have not had the time to prepare for the exam given the ongoing NEET PG 2021 counselling and the fact that they were offering COVID-19 duties during the pandemic in the last year. However, the nature of this solution is as yet unclear. According to Yadav, it is only the Ministry who can comment on their stand on this matter. 

The Supreme Court Bench that heard petitions from the students for a postponement of the exam by eight weeks said that any delay in conducting the test would cause chaos and confusion. The Bench said that the care of patients and the healthcare system is top priority and should not be affected by a delay in the academic calendar.