The NEET-UG retest for 1,563 candidates, whose results were cancelled following the grace mark controversy, will be held on Sunday at seven centres. The exam is being held for students from Meghalaya, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Chandigarh.
The exams will be held at new centres, except in Chandigarh where only two students are taking the retest.
The examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres, and around 24 lakh candidates appeared. However, as compensation for the loss of time due to the delay in the start of the examination, the National Testing Agency (NTA) awarded grace marks to the students from the states. However, the matter reached the Supreme Court, after which the Centre told the apex court that the grace marks were being scrapped and these students would be allowed a retest.
The officials of the NTA and Union Education Ministry will present at the examination centres, a senior NTA official said on Friday. "The step has been taken to ensure smooth conduct of the re-exam," according to a senior NTA official.
Meanwhile, the dates for the postponed NEET-PG entrance examination, scheduled to be held on June 23, were postponed on Saturday by the Union Health Ministry. The decision was taken as a "precautionary measure" amid allegations on the integrity of certain competitive exams.
The Ministry of Health has decided to undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of processes of the NEET-PG entrance examination, conducted by the National Board of Examination (NTA) for medical students, a statement said. "It has accordingly been decided, as a precautionary measure to postpone the NEET-PG entrance examination, scheduled to be held tomorrow -- 23rd June, 2024," the ministry said.
'Playing with emotion'
The decision was met with criticism from opposition parties and the United Doctors Front Association National, which said cancelling the scheduled exam before 10 hours is no less than "playing with the emotions of the doctors".
Lakshya Mittal, national president of the United Doctors Front Association on Saturday called the postponement of the NEET-PG examination 'another scam'.
"Candidates have travelled across states and cancelling the exam 10 hours before it is scheduled is no less than playing with the emotions of the doctors. The conducting authorities of both- NEET PG, as well as NEET UG, should be investigated. India's medical education system has been destroyed. However, the CBI enquiry into the NEET-UG issue is a commendable step," he said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the postponement of the NEET-PG, saying it was yet "another unfortunate example that the education system has been ruined".