Breaking News: NEET PG exam postponed by 4 months amid COVID pandemic

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New Delhi: The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Post Graduate) was on Monday (May 3) postponed for at least four months amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. The decision to postpone the NEET-PG exam was taken a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the COVID-19 situation across the country. He reviewed various measures to augment human resources to manage the prevailing COVID situation effectively.

According to sources, the government does not plan to hold the NEET PG exam 2021 before four months. Also students will be given atleast one month of time after the government announces final exam dates. The government said that it will make a large number of qualified doctors available for COVID-19 duties. This will reduce the workload on the existing doctors engaged in COVID duty and boost the efforts of triaging, it said.

"NEET-PG postponed for at least 4 months, this will make large number of qualified doctors available for COVID duties," an official statement from PMO said today. "Medical interns to be deployed in COVID management duties under supervision of their faculty. Final year MBBS students can be utilised for tele-consultation, monitoring mild COVID cases under supervision of faculty. B.Sc or GNM qualified nurses to be utilised in full-time COVID nursing duties under supervision of senior doctors, nurses," the PMO said. 

The Prime Minister's Office further said that that it has authorised key decisions to boost the availability of medical personnel to fight COVID-19. IT further added that medical personnel completing 100 days of COVID duties would be given priority in forthcoming regular government recruitment. "Medical personnel completing 100 days of COVID duties will be given Prime Minister's Distinguished Covid National Service Samman," the PMO said in a statement. 

They will also be covered under the government's insurance scheme for health workers engaged in fighting COVID-19.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan had on April 15, 2021, announced the postponement of the NEET PG exam amid a spike in COVID-19 cases across the country.