HYDERABAD: Thousands of MBBS students of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) on Friday missed their chance of appearing for the NEET PG that qualifies them to get admission in post-graduate courses, as they do not fit into internship eligibility criteria. As a result, hundreds of students in the State did not apply for the admission test on the last date on Friday. The authorities extended the internship period till August due to Covid-19 pandemic last year.
The students who wish to study PG courses in government and private colleges in the country have to qualify in the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test. According to the criteria, final year students must complete one-year internship before the stipulated time, i.e., June 30. The exam is slated to be held on March 5.
The earlier deadline for MBBS students to complete their one-year mandatory internship period was March 31, which was later extended to June 30 on the request of the candidates and several State authorities. Still, students from Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand are ineligible as they will be completing their internships in August.
Due to the delay in the correction of the paper, the results of the final exam were announced late by KNRUHS which resulted in extension of the internship till August 11. The future of approximately 3,000-4,000 students in the State is in jeopardy.
“The members of Telangana Junior Doctors Association met Health Minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday, requesting him to impress on the Central government the need to allow the students to appear for the admission test. The minister asked Health Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi to write another representation to the Centre,” said Dr Karthik Nagula, president of TJUDA. Students, doctors organisations and KNRUHS itself had earlier sent representations to the Union health minister to postpone the exam.
However, there was no response. “The university and the State government have to own the responsibility for the delay in conducting the final-year exams last year. It is their duty to take the initiative to talk to the National Medical Commission, Union health ministry and make arrangements for the postponement,” Dr Karthik added.The members of TJUDA have decided to fight to get justice for KNRUHS students.
Same fate for BDS students
The same ill fate is likely to befall about 1,000 dental students in the State. They too need to pass NEET for Masters in Dental surgery (MDS) with one year of compulsory internship which is not fulfilled by the students of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh along with Telangana.
“The internship period for NEET MDS was not extended from March 31. We will be finishing our internships on April 11, just 11-12 days after the deadline,” said Dr Md Manzur, a dental student from Achampet town in Nagarkurnool district and National President of All India Dental Students Association. The last date for applying for NEET MDS is January 31.
Several futile attempts have been made by AIDSA by sending representation to extend the cut-off date of internship. If they do not receive a response, the dental students are planning to hold a protest in front of the National Board of Medical Examination office in Delhi.
BDS grads too miss test
About 1,000 BDS students also missed the chance to write NEET PG as they are also ineligible as they have not yet completed the mandatory internship