NATIONAL: The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG) has faced several significant changes, affecting both the timeline and procedural aspects of the examination. These changes come amid allegations of irregularities in recent competitive examinations, prompting the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to take precautionary measures to ensure the integrity and robustness of the exam process.

Originally slated for June 23, the NEET PG exam was postponed as a precaution. This delay was necessary to address concerns over the potential vulnerabilities in the examination process. The NEET PG exam is a crucial milestone for around two lakh MBBS graduates who compete annually for approximately 52,000 postgraduate seats across India.

In response to these developments, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has rescheduled the NEET PG 2024 exam to August 11, 2024. The exam will now be conducted in two shifts on the same day, allowing candidates ample time to prepare under the revised schedule.

Despite the changes in the exam date, the cut-off date for eligibility to appear in NEET PG 2024 remains unchanged: August 15, 2024. It’s important to note that the NEET PG 2024 was initially set for March 3, then postponed to July 7, and later advanced to June 23, primarily due to the general elections. The consistency in the eligibility cut-off date ensures that the candidate pool remains stable and unaffected by the shifts in exam scheduling.

In a significant move to streamline the post-exam process, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has introduced the “Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023.” This mandates that all rounds of NEET PG counseling for every seat will be conducted online by state or central counseling authorities. This shift to an online mode aims to make the counseling process more efficient and accessible, reducing the logistical burdens on candidates.