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The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
NEET-PG aspirants from Kerala in distress over allotment of exam centres in A.P., Telangana
Hundreds of NEET-PG aspirants in Kerala are distressed that they would end up travelling over a thousand km to write the NEET-PG entrance exam this year on August 3 as they have been allotted exam centres in far away places in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Every year, at least 20-24,000 students appear for the NEET-PG exam from Kerala. There are 13 exam centres in Kerala for the online exam. Usually, many students end up travelling to neighbouring Tamil Nadu to write the exam. However, this year, a good number of students from the State have got exam centres in Telengana and Andhra Pradesh, in cities they have not even heard of, raising their anxiety levels and leaving them stressed over the travel and lodging arrangements that they would have to make to appear for the exam on August 3. Students have now formed WhatsApp groups and made representation to the National Board of Examinations for Medical Sciences (NBEMS) through members of Parliament and the Indian Medical Association. Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors' Network (IMA JDN) has now escalated the issue and have written to the Union Health Minister, J.P. Nadda, that having to travel well over a thousand km to far-off States on the eve of a high-profile exam was posing logistical issues as well as causing much distress to students, especially those from economically weaker families. 'Unfair to students' The IMA JDN also pointed out that the fact that some students are able to appear for the exam in nearby cities while others are forced to spend money and time travelling to faraway places to write the same exam was unfair and liable to affect the mental well being of students. Originally scheduled for June 15, NBE had planned to conduct the NEET PG exam in two shifts, with two different question papers. This was challenged in the Supreme Court and with the apex court pointing out that the double shift could lead to unfairness and arbitrariness, NBE was made to conduct the exam in a single shift and the date was postponed to August 3 'When this happened, we had to go into the NBE's portal and give our option for the exam centre again. We get to give only one option for the exam centre, which is supposed to be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Three of us who gave Palakkad as our option were allotted Sathupally in Telengana. A couple of my friends were lucky to have got Ernakulam, though they had opted for Thrissur. We later found that hundreds of us have been allotted exam centres in Telengana and Andhra Pradesh. Sathupally, we now know is over 1,300 km away from Thiruvananthapuram and even by flight or by train, connectivity issues are huge,' points out Anjali Ravindran, a student of Sree Gokulam Medical College in Thiruvananthaouram and a NEET -PG aspirant. Unnecessary hassle 'If not the exam centre we opted for, any centre within our home State would have been manageable. This is an exam with such high stakes and instead of giving it all our focus, we are now stressing over our travel options, lodging arrangements and the money we will end up spending. There are also some NEET-PG aspirants, who are young mothers with babies and their plight is even more difficult,' says The IMA JDN, has in their appeal to Mr. Nadda, requested that the NBEMS be directed to reopen the exam centre portal for the affected candidates and allow them to select centres within their home State or the nearest possible location. Undue travel stress could affect the students' performance in such a high-profile exam, which is held only once a year 'The NBEMS has been conducting this exam for years and they should have a clear idea approximately how many students should be expected to write the exam from each State. They should plan ahead so that there are adequate exam centres in every State for the students,' Sreejith N Kumar, chairman, IMAJDN Standing Committee, said.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Should you be worry about JN.1? Here's what doctors are saying regarding new Covid variant
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The doctors in the national capital have advised people not to panic over the COVID-19 cases linked to the JN.1 variant, saying the strain is not severe and most patients have only reported mild the recent government advisory, several hospitals in the city have started preparing by arranging oxygen cylinders, antibiotics, other essential drugs, BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) machines, vaccines, ventilators and additional isolation beds as part of precautionary Medical Association Junior Doctors Network (IMA JDN) national spokesperson Dr Dhruv Chauhan said that people need not panic about the JN.1 variant, a descendant of the Omicron BA.2.86 lineage which is the predominant Covid-19 strain circulating in India."This is not a lethal variant and it's always better to take precautions like maintaining hand hygiene, wearing masks where necessary such as in hospitals or crowded places and following respiratory hygiene. It is also important to get your symptoms checked by a qualified doctor," reported news agency quoting Dr Chauhan."The public should remember that panic and chaos can cause more health issues than the disease itself," he Nihal Singh, an internal medicine specialist, said, "We must understand that while the JN.1 variant is spreading, it has not shown signs of causing serious illness in the majority of cases.""Panic doesn't help, awareness does. There's no need for fear, only sensible precautions," he Aviral Mathur, Associate Consultant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said "this strain is highly transmissible, though symptoms remain mostly mild"."Still, prevention is key. We urge the public to wear masks in crowded or enclosed spaces, practice hand hygiene and avoid unnecessary travel if unwell. Make sure your vaccinations, including booster doses, are up to date," he health experts reiterate that while the JN.1 variant is not lethal, simple preventive measures can go a long way in keeping communities on Friday, the Delhi government amid a slight rise in Covid-19 cases across the country issued an advisory directing hospitals to ensure preparedness, including the availability of beds, oxygen, essential drugs and functional equipment like ventilators and BiPAP Saturday, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava reviewed the matter regarding COVID-19 cases reported across multiple states, mainly from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, etc, reported ANI quoting official is observed that most of these cases are mild and under home to the Union Health Ministry, as of May 19, India has 257 active COVID-19 cases, most of which are mild and require no hospitalisation. The country continues to monitor respiratory illnesses through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and the Union Health Ministry remains vigilant and proactive in monitoring the situation closely, ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to safeguard public health. While COVID-19 is now considered another type of viral infection, basic precautions such as hand hygiene, masks in crowded areas and avoiding unnecessary gatherings are still encouraged.
