Dear Sir/Ma'am

I'm writing this letter to request you to support the doctors to be able to choose the city of their preference for the NEET PG'21 Exam. 

Currently the edit option on the NEET PG portal for changing the exam center is disabled, despite the exam being postponed by almost 5 months.

The NEET PG exam which is usually conducted in January every year, was scheduled for April 18th, 2021. However, just two days before the scheduled date of exam, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) postponed it indefinitely owing to the 2nd Covid wave.

Applicants who had reached the city of their examination centers in advance had to change their plans indefinitely.

So much has transpired since the mid-April postponement. Applicants have changed their jobs, relocated their homes, lost family members to Covid, shifted cities, etc.

The arbitrary news from the PMO, on 3rd May, saying that the NEET PG exams will be held after 31st August did not help the preparation or travel planning in any way.

Finally, on 13th July, when the NBEMS announced the NEET PG exam date to be on 11th September, all the applicants expected an option to edit their choice of city for the exam center, like the way it should have been.

While the INICET exam faced a similar postponement, it had offered the option to change the choice of city for the exam center, acknowledging the fact that the applicants' plans may have changed drastically since it's previous postponement, owing to the Covid situation.

When the NBEMS refuses to give the option to change the choice of city of the exam center, and actively discourages applicants from advocating for the same, it is explicitly conveyed that the NBEMS discounts any change in the applicants' circumstances and doesn't take responsibility for the effects it's previous eleventh-hour postponement  had caused.

The choice of city for exam center has always been an issue of concern, even earlier this year (Feb, 2021) when the students ran out of options to choose the city of their choice due to less number of designated exam centers, wherein several MPs and legislators had to advocate for the cause, for NBEMS to take notice and make amends.

If NBEMS considers this cause to be trivial and a problem of a minuscule section of applicants, then it should not have any issue in making those minor changes in the capacities of the exam centers. However, if this is a problem of a significant section of applicants, then it is the responsibility of NBEMS to make the necessary arrangements and take accountability of the same. In either case, the opening up of the Choice of City for the exam center option to be changed is a required step, expected of the NBEMS.

Thus, we kindly request you to consider the sincere request and support us in this cause.

Regards
Dr Achala Regi

All Medical Practitioners' Association  (AMPA)