NEET-PG postponed as 'precautionary measure' amid exam leak controversy

Amid growing concerns over allegations of paper leaks in national-level examinations, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Saturday announced the postponement of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test-Post Graduate (NEET-PG), a day before it was scheduled to be held.

The ministry announced that it will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the examination procedures for NEET-PG to ensure they remain strong and impartial.

In its statement, the ministry said the move has been taken as a precautionary decision. “Taking into consideration the recent incidents of allegations regarding the integrity of certain examinations, the ministry has decided to undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of processes of the NEET-PG entrance examination for medical students,” the ministry stated.

The ministry added that a fresh date for the examination will be announced at the earliest. More than 150,000 students had registered to appear for the test.

“The Ministry of Health sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to the students. This decision has been taken in the best interests of the students and to maintain the sanctity of the examination process,” the ministry added in its statement.

The NEET-PG exam is conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), an autonomous body under the health ministry. The exam is given by medical students after they graduate, to qualify for postgraduate courses.

This is the second major examination to be postponed after the Joint CSIR UGC-NET exam. The latter is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is already facing fire over irregularities in conducting the NEET-UG exam and the cancellation of the UGC-NET due to a leaked exam paper on the darknet.