Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 11 February 2024
Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, the Member of Parliament representing Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has urged the Hon’ble Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to boost the number of examination slots for the NEET-PG 2024 examination. The request aims to elevate the examination slots from 76, as observed in NEET-PG 2023, to a minimum of 250 slots specifically designated for the Port Blair Centre in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This initiative is intended to facilitate maximum participation of aspiring MBBS doctors from the region in the NEET-PG entrance examination without the need for travel to mainland India.
In a formal letter addressed to the Hon’ble Cabinet Minister, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma highlighted the significance of this demand. Since 2021, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Post-Graduation (NEET-PG) has been conducted in Port Blair by the National Board of Examinations under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. This provision aims to assist MBBS students seeking admission to MD/MS/DNB postgraduate and diploma medical courses in both government and private institutions across India.
The Member of Parliament emphasized that the establishment of the NEET-PG examination center in Port Blair was initiated to support the first batch of MBBS doctors graduating from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS) in 2021. Since then, the NEET-PG examination has been conducted annually to cater to the increasing number of aspiring doctors from the region.
Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma noted that the existing 76 candidate slots for NEET-PG examinations fell significantly short of meeting the demand, leading many students to incur substantial expenses for travel, accommodation, and other related costs to appear in examination centers located in mainland India. This financial burden particularly affects students from economically weaker backgrounds.
Furthermore, with the successive graduation of two additional batches of MBBS doctors from ANIIMS since 2021, the number of aspirants seeking admission to postgraduate courses has tripled. The cumulative strength of MBBS doctors in the islands, including those serving in various capacities across healthcare facilities, has reached approximately 200. Considering the growing demand, the Member of Parliament estimated that around 250 MBBS doctors from Andaman and Nicobar Islands aspire to appear in the NEET-PG entrance examination.
Regarding the infrastructure necessary for conducting the NEET-PG Online/Computer Based Test (CBT) for approximately 250 candidates in Port Blair, Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma highlighted that similar-scale computer-based selection tests are successfully conducted in the region by various agencies. He suggested pooling resources from both government and private agencies to ensure the seamless conduct of the examination.