NEET PG 2022 Postponement: IMA writes to Health Minister seeking deferment of 21st May PG Medical Entrance Test

Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written a letter to Union Health Minister requested postponement of NEET PG 2022 exam which is scheduled to be held on 21st May 2022. As the clamour for the NEET PG 2022 Postponement grows louder, IMA has also come out in support of the medical aspirants. As per the latest report, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya seeking his intervention on the matter and postponement of the NEET PG 2022 exam.

IMA Highlights Delay in NEET PG Exam and Admissions

IMA in its letter highlights the challenges being faced by the medical aspirants who are due to appear for the NEET PG 2022 Exam. The letter highlights the delay caused in the NEET PG 2021 Admission process due to the postponement of the examination by nearly 5 months. Following the completion of the exam, NEET PG 2021 Counselling process was also delayed by months over a dispute on OBC Reservation criteria. Due to this the admission cycle for NEET PG 2021 has been deferred and is directly clashing with the NEET PG 2022 examination.

Counselling for Stray Vacancy Seats Underway

For the 2021 admission season, the NEET PG Counselling for stray vacancy seats is still underway and is likely to be completed only by mid-May, notes the letter written by IMA. Due to this, candidates who are participating in these final counselling rounds will not be left with any time to prepare for the NEET PG 2022 examination. In light of this, IMA has requested Union Health Minister to consider the plight of the medical aspirants and delay the postgraduate medical entrance exam by 6 to 8 weeks.

Political and Legal Backing to Postponement

Recently the issue of NEET PG 2022 postponement has gained prominence with several organizations and popular personalities backing the demand. Recently, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also backed the demand of medical aspirants. Along similar lines, DMK, the ruling party of Tamil Nadu has also sought deferment of the PG medical entrance exam from its current date of 21st May 2022. One ray of hope for aspirants is the legal relief from the Supreme Court which is due to hear the NEET PG 2022 postponement case on 13th May 2022.

NMC All Set To Conduct National Exit Test (NExT) From 2023

The National Medical Commission (NMC) in its recently issued draft of ‘The Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2021’ has mentioned that the National Exit Test (NExT) is soon going to be the gateway for PG medical admissions across the country in each academic year. The NExT, a common exit exam envisaged by the government to standardize medical education, was proposed by NMC as a part of the bill passed in 2019.

Key Features and Transition Roadmap

• Replacement: The exam is set to replace the NEET PG and FMGE exams.
• Implementation: Efforts are underway to ensure that the NExT is conducted in the first half of 2023.
• Licentiate Exam: The NExT exam would serve as a licentiate exam for those who have done MBBS in India as well as abroad.
• Validity: The National Exit Test (NExT) marks shall remain valid for 3 years from the date the person has become eligible.
• Interim Measures: Until its implementation, NEET-PG shall continue to operate as the screening test for the selection of postgraduate students.

State Concerns and Apprehensions

Various state medical education experts and fraternities have expressed apprehensions over NExT replacing MBBS final exams and say the move may prove detrimental to the state’s efforts to have more doctors available. Similarly, the Tamil Nadu government strongly objected to the Draft of Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations released by the NMC, saying they intend to undermine the role of the states in this domain.

Summary of PG Medical Entrance Transition

• Current Exam: NEET PG 2022 (Scheduled for 21st May)
• Requested Postponement: 6 to 8 weeks
• Future Entrance: National Exit Test (NExT)
• Planned Launch: 2023
• Mock Run: Planned for 2022 to remove anxiety among medical students