There seems to be no relief for the aspirants of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Post Graduate (PG)-2021 exams who are demanding allotment of adequate exam centres in Kashmir.
The aspirants said that the National Board of Examination (NBE) – the exams conducting body – has fixed April 12 for release of admit cards of the aspirants and no changes would be made in the exam centres after the release of admit cards. “We appeal the J&K administration to take up the matter with NBE and ensure that more exam centres are set up in Kashmir for aspirants by April 12 so that all the aspirants can write the exams in Kashmir,” an aspirant said.
Greater Kashmir had already reported about the grievance of the NEET PG-2021 aspirants wherein they complained that the NBE had not set up adequate exam centres in Kashmir.
The aspirants said majority of the exam centers were exhausted on the first day of registration and hundreds of students from Kashmir were left with no choice but to opt for Jammu as the test city.
“We can’t plan our travel to Jammu amid the spike in COVID-19 positive cases. It will be a risk to travel to Jammu to appear in the exam. The anxiety and exam stress adds to the demerits of travelling right now,” the candidate said.
The exam is scheduled on April 18 and the distressed aspirants whose exam centre has been allotted in Jammu said it would be difficult to travel outside Kashmir in Ramadan.
“We appeal the J&K administration to intervene into the matter and ensure that adequate exam centres are allotted to Srinagar and other districts as well,” the candidates said.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang Kondbarao Pole had said that the matter would be taken up with the NBE.
However, the aspirants did not receive any intimation from the exam-conducting body about the change in exam centres. Meanwhile, Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department, Atal Dulloo said the exam centres must have been set up in the Valley on the basis of capacity to accommodate the aspirants. “In J&K, majority of the students opt for medical science and that is why all aspirants have not been accommodated in Kashmir,” he said.
However, the aspirants did not buy the argument saying that the aspirants of NET, GATE, JEE and other exams were accommodated in exam centres within the Valley by the concerned exam conducting body. “The number of aspirants for NEET PG exams is comparatively less than other exams. So it will not be so difficult for the NBE to accommodate students in exam centres within the Valley,” the aspirant said.
The Financial Commissioner H&ME department Atal Dulloo said he would personally take up the matter with NBE.
“I will talk to them and try to get more exam centres set up in Kashmir,” he said.