(*Some names have been changed on request)
On the evening of 4 August, Akshay Tripathi, a 2024 NEET PG aspirant from Haryana's Ambala received an unexpected email from the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) — the body which is responsible for conducting the exam he had been preparing for.
“I was originally allocated a centre in Delhi but suddenly they changed my centre to Patna, which is 1,300 kilometres away. I never even considered Patna as an option,” he told The Quint.
Tripathi is not alone.
Over the last few days, the NBEMS, facing flak for allotting distant exam centres to students only a week before the exam, allocated new centres to some students allegedly as a corrective measures.
The candidates, however, claim that the exam body has further complicated the issue.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Postgraduate) is an exam for determining eligibility of candidates for admission to postgraduate medical programmes in government and private medical colleges across India. Each year approximately two lakh candidates appear for this exam.
In 2024, the exam, first scheduled to be held on 23 June was pushed to 11 August in the wake of the NEET (UG) exam paper leak controversy.
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'Sudden and Widespread Disruption'
Many who had previously been assigned nearby examination venues have found themselves relocated to centres far from their homes, often in cities they did not select as preferences.
For instance, Smiti*, a 32-year-old from Bagdogra in West Bengal with a three-month-old child, has been assigned to a centre in Kerala. “The situation is deteriorating. I’m unable to focus on my studies and have contacted the authorities through the grievance portal and helpdesk without success. Travelling to Kerala with a young baby, especially during the monsoon season, is simply not feasible,” she told The Quint.
Social Media Outcry and Personal Ordeals
The issue has ignited a storm of protest on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), with candidates sharing their grievances and demanding answers.
Sneha*, a 20-year-old from Chennai, described her ordeal: “My initial allocation was Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, which is 472 kilometres away. Now I’ve been assigned to Madurai in Tamil Nadu, which is almost the same distance. I’ve already spent around ₹12,000 to ₹15,000 on travel and accommodation for Kurnool, and now I have to start from scratch.”
While the official notification has yet to be released, candidates have already received emails detailing their new exam centres. As a result, many have been forced to cancel travel and accommodation plans, incurring significant financial losses.
Exam Delays and Increased Anxiety
This is not the first instance of logistical difficulties being faced by aspirants appearing in the 2024 NEET (PG) exam. Previously the students complained regarding the exam being conducted in a shift-based manner and the introduction of an algorithm-based marking system. The latest upheaval over exam centres has only exacerbated the anxiety felt by aspiring doctors.
Kashish* from Vadodara said, "First, the centre I was allotted was just 43 kilometres away, and now it is 250 kilometres away in another city which wasn't even the preferred option that I chose."
Uzair* from Delhi-NCR and Nawaz* from Srinagar, have also shared their experiences of unexpected centre changes and no changes respectively.
It appears that candidates in certain regions have been disproportionately affected. While candidates from Kerala have reported successful changes to their exam centres following intervention by Congress leader K C Venugopal, aspirants from other states continue to face challenges.
Growing Frustration and Demand for Accountability
The collective frustration among NEET (PG) aspirants is palpable. With the exam looming large, candidates are grappling with uncertainty, financial hardship, and immense stress. Many are calling for transparency and accountability from the NBEMS.
A pattern of discrepancy has emerged, with candidates from specific regions being disproportionately affected. For instance, there have been numerous reports of candidates from Jammu and Kashmir being allocated centres in Delhi, while those from Delhi have been reassigned to Patna, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Similar trends have been observed in other states, such as Bangalore and Hyderabad, and Goa and Hyderabad.
As the situation unfolds, the pressure is mounting on the authorities to address the concerns of these future medical professionals and provide a fair and equitable examination process.
(The Quint has reached out to authorities at the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences for a response. This story will be updated when we hear from them.)
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