Students’ body seeks more PG medical exam centres in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu

The Pondicherry State Students and Parents Welfare Association has requested NBEMS to increase local exam centres, citing travel hardships faced by thousands of medical aspirants.

Despite the Union Territory having four distinct regions, there are reportedly very few NBEMS examination centres available locally.

PUDUCHERRY: The Pondicherry State Students and Parents Welfare Association has urged the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to increase the number of examination centres in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu for the upcoming postgraduate medical entrance examination scheduled on August 3, 2025.

In a letter addressed to Dr. Abhijat Sheth, President of NBEMS, Pondicherry State Students and Parents Welfare Association President Balasubramanian highlighted the difficulties faced by thousands of students from Puducherry and Tamil Nadu who have been allotted exam centres in distant states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Maharashtra. The Association stated that this has caused unnecessary financial strain and travel hardship for aspirants.

According to the Association, over 2,000 candidates from Puducherry alone have applied for the examination. Despite the Union Territory having four distinct regions—Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam—there are reportedly very few examination centres available locally.

The Association emphasised Puducherry’s growing medical education infrastructure, including eight medical colleges—comprising three private institutions and five under the University of Health Sciences—offering 465 MD/MS postgraduate seats. The Indira Gandhi Government Medical College alone has received approval for over 30 additional PG seats for the 2025-26 academic year.

Similarly, Tamil Nadu, with 2,765 MBBS seats across private and government institutions, has witnessed over 20,000 PG exam applicants. Although there are 24 centres in major cities like Chennai, Trichy, Madurai, Salem, and Coimbatore, the Association noted that more than 5,000 students from the state have been allotted centres outside Tamil Nadu.

The Association has requested NBEMS to urgently establish additional examination centres in both Puducherry and Tamil Nadu to ensure students can take the examination closer to home, thereby reducing logistical challenges and stress during a critical career-defining test.