Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya made a statement in the Lok Sabha on February 10, 2023. The Health Minister, according to sources, announced that the exam would not be rescheduled in order to avoid future disruptions in the academic calendar caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doctor organizations like the Indian Medical Association and the Federation of All India Medical Association, as well as NEET PG candidates, have been advocating for a two to three-month delay in the NEET PG 2023 exam.
They have requested a postponement in order to reduce the time between the results announcement and the counseling process.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, MoHFW, had already extended the internship date from June 30 to August 11, 2023. Mandaviya also stated that the examination would not be rescheduled.
“The government has recently extended the internship cut-off date to August 11, 2023, so that no students across the country are ineligible to appear for the exam. Secondly, students were informed about five months earlier that the NEET PG exam 2023 will be held on March 5,” Mansukh Mandaviya told the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
“It is important to prevent delays caused due to COVID-19 and hence I have informed the student’s delegation about why the exam will not be rescheduled,” he stated further.
Previously, doctors’ associations stated that if the NEET PG 2023 exam date is moved, candidates will have enough time to prepare for the exam. Dr. Manish Jangra, Founder of FAIMA, who went to meet with the Minister, stated that he was doing everything he could to get the postponement.
Aside from the postponement of NEET PG 2023, the doctors are also requesting a revision of the internship deadline, as many interns are still ineligible. On Tuesday, a group of doctors, including NEET-PG aspirants, protested on Jantar Mantar Road, demanding that exams scheduled for early March be postponed.
On February 9, 2023, the National Board of Examinations for Medical Sciences reopened the registration session for applicants. In response to candidate requests, the deadline for completing internships for NEET PG eligibility has been extended to August 11, 2023.
NEET MDS 2023: Here’s how to apply
- Go to the official website- nbe.edu.in
- On the appeared homepage, click on the NEET MDS tab
- Now, click on the apply link
- Fill in the NEET MDS 2023 application form and submit the details
- Upload all asked documents and pay the application fee
- Take a printout for future references
The deadline for PG and MDS students to complete their internships had already been extended by the NBEMS and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to June 30, 2023. Registration will reopen on February 10, 2023, and will run until February 12, 2023.