FAIMA Requests Revision in NEET PG Counselling Qualifying Score

New Delhi: Pointing out that the country, while combating the pandemic, cannot afford any vacant seats, the doctors under the umbrella of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) have recently written to the Union Health Minister seeking a revision in the qualifying score in the mop-up round of NEET PG counselling.

In a letter directed to the Union Health Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, FAIMA has referred to the fact that every year a large number of seats, including clinical, paraclinical, as well as non-clinical, remain vacant because enough candidates above the cut-off do not opt for those seats.

"As you are aware, this year there have been many changes in the counselling process. Usually, the NEET PG exam is held after a gap of 9-10 months approximately. But this year even the NEET PG 2022 exam is going to be held with a very less time gap i.e., 12th March 2022 along with counselling of NEET PG 2021. Due to this, many candidates unsatisfied with the result will take another attempt for improvement, ultimately resulting in wastage of seats," FAIMA mentioned in the letter.

"We request you to kindly revise the qualifying score in the mop-up adequately. So that all seats, including basic subjects, are filled in States as well as AIQ Counselling," the letter added.

Also Read: Doctors write to Union Health Ministry over inappropriate clinical management of Covid-19

"The country is passing through a grave medical emergency & cannot afford any vacancies in this field. Challenging times deserve innovative measures," urged the doctors in their letter to the Union Health Minister.

Speaking regarding the matter, Dr. Rohan Krishnan, the President of FAIMA said, "Due to the pandemic, the NEET PG 2021 exam got delayed by 8-9 months and even the doctors who appeared in it were serving in the middle of the pandemic. Every year, the Government reduces the cut-off marks after the seats remain vacant. However, they reduce it arbitrarily. This year, we wanted that the cut-off gets reduced to the maximum considering the situation at hand."

"IMA has also supported the move and they have pointed out that there shouldn't be any eligibility bar at the mop-up round of counselling, because in the first two rounds of the counselling, all the candidates who scored good secure admission. This should be done so that there doesn't remain any vacant seats and we have enough number of specialist doctors," he added.

It had earlier been reported that the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had also written to the Union Health Minister and requested him to allow all candidates who appeared in the NEET-PG exam to participate in the mop-up counselling and stray vacancy round without any cut-off constraints.

These candidates have otherwise passed their graduation exams and thus fulfil the basic eligibility criteria, the IMA said.

"It would be really criminal if all post-graduation seats are not filled even in an emergency situation. This is a humble request from the Indian Medical Association to increase the workforce of available doctors," IMA had pointed out.

Also Read: Allow all NEET PG 2021 candidates in mop-up, stray vacancy counselling rounds: IMA asks Health Minister