"Will Severely Imperil Future If Doctors": On NEET PG, Shashi Tharoor Writes to Health Minister

As the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) prepares to hold the NEET PG 2024 entrance examination soon, concerns continue to mount among candidates about the distant and inconvenient exam centers they have been assigned. With the exam scheduled for August 11, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has written to Health Minister JP Nadda, urging him to address these issues promptly to avoid jeopardising the futures of nearly two lakh aspiring doctors.

Tharoor, in his letter, highlighted the “woeful situation” faced by NEET PG 2024 aspirants, stating that their futures are “hanging in the balance.” He expressed concern over the long distances candidates are being forced to travel, with some required to journey thousands of kilometers to reach their assigned exam centers. Tharoor emphasised that “the current weather – which has spawned vicious vagaries of nature across India – challenges of ticket availability, shortage of affordable accommodation and concerns of safety place these doctors in an untenable position.”

The Congress MP further pointed out that the reduction in the number of cities hosting the exams has compounded the difficulties, making it even harder for candidates to access the exam centers. He argued that if the NEET PG 2024 examination proceeds as planned, “it will severely imperil the future of our doctors.” Tharoor urged the Health Minister to consider increasing the number of exam centers and to ensure that the exams are held on a single date nationwide to maintain fairness and standardisation.

Tharoor concluded his letter by requesting that the Health Minister’s office “look into these issues and resolve them at your earliest convenience,” stressing that the well-being and future of the nation’s doctors depend on it.