Indecision on the outcome and applicability of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS and post- graduate degree in medicine has led to greater competition among students to secure a seat within the state.
The number of students appearing for the Andhra Pradesh Post Graduate Medical Entrance (APPG) 2013 was close to 18,000, nearly 36 per cent higher than the number of applicants for NEET-PG from the state conducted in November last year.
The last date for submission of application forms was extended to Feb 20 by NTR University of Health Sciences for the examination scheduled to be held on March 17.
The students will be competing for nearly 2,000 seats across disciplines in post graduation in the convener quota. Beginning this year, admissions to nearly 1,000 post graduate management quota seats in private medical and dental colleges will be conducted as per a separate examination conducted by Andhra Pradesh Medical and Dental Colleges Managements Association.
The announcement for entrance for admission to management quota seats has not been decided yet.
The multiplicity of examinations has led to a confusion among students set to complete their internship by March end.
The move to introduce a common national entrance test in order to reduce the burden of examination among students has come to nil with private colleges deciding to conduct a separate examination.
Further, the result of APPG will not be announced till the Supreme Court gives a decision on the applicability of NEET to students from the state of Andhra Pradesh as well as a response to other state and private medical colleges which have challenged the decision for promoting a single examination.