NEET PG 2024 Postponed Due to ‘Impersonation’ Threats: Report

New Delhi: In a sudden turn of events, the National Eligibility-and-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2024 examination, which was scheduled to take place on June 23, has been postponed at the last minute due to credible intelligence inputs suggesting potential ‘impersonation’ or manipulation attempts in the examination. According to a report by The Economic Times, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBE), which conducts the test, received information indicating a significant risk of the examination being compromised.

The decision to postpone the exam was taken as a precautionary measure amid ongoing controversies surrounding the NEET exam and the UGC NET exam. The Union Health Ministry had earlier announced the postponement of the exam, stating that it was necessary to undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of the processes of the NEET-PG Entrance Examination, conducted by the NBE for medical students. The ministry had also stated that the exam would be rescheduled at a later date.

However, a recent media report by The Economic Times has now revealed that the exam was cancelled due to clear intelligence inputs indicating possible “impersonation” or manipulation attempts in the computer-based test. A senior official told Business Standard that while there was no actual leak, credible complaints and inputs were received of possible impersonation attempts at some centres. Intelligence inputs on the same also contributed to the decision to postpone the exam.

The NEET-PG exam, which was originally scheduled to be held on June 23, will now take place on August 11, 2024, in two shifts. The cut-off date for eligibility to appear in the exam remains August 15, 2024. Over 240,000 candidates will appear in the exam for admission to 24,000 MD seats, 12,600 MS seats, and 900 PG Diploma seats at various medical institutes.

The Central Government recently disclosed that the NEET-UG 2024 counselling will start in the third week of July, with the exact dates for the second round of registration to be announced later. The third round is expected to commence by the second week of September.

The postponement of the NEET-PG exam has raised concerns among medical students and aspirants, who are eagerly awaiting the results and the start of the counselling process. The exact dates for the rescheduled exam and the counselling process are yet to be announced.