BENGALURU: After several letters to the central government over the eligibility criteria of NEET PG, Karnataka students are worried as no decision has been taken. Registration for NEET PG 2023 begins on January 7. It was stated that only those candidates are eligible if their last date of the internship is on March 31 2023.
Several students and doctors have raised concerns over internship dates. They stated that students will be unable to finish their internships by March 31, which will render them ineligible for the exam. Dr Tejaswi HJ, president of the Junior Doctors’ Association, said if the dates are not changed, 7,000 students in the state will be unable to appear for the exam, and eventually, their whole year will be wasted.
Last year, the internships started late because of the pandemic across almost all colleges, he explained, adding that in Karnataka, the internships began on April 24, 2022, and will end in April 2023. The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has organised a meeting with Mansukh Mandaviya, Union health minister, on January 31 to find solutions to prevent thousands of students from being deprived of an opportunity to write the exam.
Students said that the delay in making a decision will leave them with lesser time to prepare for the exam. In case, the dates are not changed, their whole year will be wasted, they feared, and so, they have requested that the dates be deferred by four-six weeks. The students also complained that the issue has been taking a toll on their mental health.