The National Board of Examination (NBE) has categorically refused to set up adequate exam centres in Kashmir for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Post Graduate (PG) 2021 aspirants whose exam centres are allotted in Jammu.
The allotment of adequate exam centres in Kashmir would have enabled all the aspirants to appear in the exams within the Valley.
The NBE – the exam conducting body for NEET PG 2021, has refused to set the exam centres despite the intervention of the Divisional Administration Kashmir, leaving the aspirants high and dry.
The aspirants whose exam centres are allotted in Jammu by the NBE had demanded adequate allotment of exam centres within Kashmir.
“I personally talked to the officials in NBE but they didn’t agree to change the exam centres at the last moment,” Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang Kondbarao Pole told Greater Kashmir.
As already reported by Greater Kashmir, the NBE had fixed April 12 for the release of admit cards of the aspirants and no changes would be made in the exam centres after release of admit cards.
“We submitted our applications for NEET PG 2021 only on the second day of notification – February 24 – but availability of centres in Kashmir had already exhausted. We had no option but to opt for Jammu,” said Saima Wani, an aggrieved aspirant.
She said that they had already submitted representations to the NBE via email for change of centres from Jammu to Srinagar.
However, there have been no changes in the exam centres for the aggrieved candidates, leaving them to fend for themselves.
“Given the present scenario of COVID-19 pandemic, it will be traumatic to travel a long distance to appear in the examination. Besides, weather unpredictability and travelling in Ramadan will be equally disturbing,” Wani said.
Greater Kashmir earlier reported about the issue and the officials at the helm of affairs had claimed to take up the matter with the NBE to get more centres allotted in Srinagar.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang Kondbarao Pole and Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department Atal Dulloo had said that the matter would be taken up with the NBE to address the grievance of the NEET PG aspirants.
“But we didn’t receive any intimation about the allotment of exam centres in Srinagar or any other district in Kashmir. The government is least concerned about our genuine grievance,” the aspirants said.
They said that they would miss the exams if their exam centres are not allotted in Kashmir.
“It is not possible for us to travel to Jammu to appear in NEET PG exams. NBE should accommodate all the aspirants in the exam centres within Kashmir,” another aggrieved aspirant said.
The aggrieved aspirants urged the J&K administration to plead their case with NEB to set up more exam centres in Kashmir.
“We request the J&K government to take up the matter with the authorities for establishing more centres in Kashmir so that we may write exams in Srinagar,” the aspirants said.