01-08-2025
Remote centres outside Kerala force candidates to drop out of NEET-PG
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/KOCHI: With just two days remaining for the National Eligibility Entrance Test-Postgraduate (NEET-PG), on August 3, many medical graduates are shocked to get examination centres outside the state — in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Many candidates had carefully chosen cities near their residences as preferred centres during the application process. However, many were stunned to be assigned locations hundreds of kilometres away.
'I'm not appearing for the exam this time. I've been allotted a centre in Telangana, and I'm eight months pregnant. The travel and stay costs are too high for me and my family,' said Dr Kavitha (name changed), a candidate from Thiruvananthapuram.
'Other young mothers in my batch are opting out too. We've paid Rs 4,000 for the application, and now we're forced to abandon the attempt.' Surveys conducted by several junior doctor associations revealed that approximately 1,000 applicants from Kerala were given centres outside the state. The uncertainty over exact venue details — only disclosed two days prior to the exam on July 31 — adds to the logistical nightmare.
'If I had received Kollam as my centre, I could reach anywhere nearby without issues. But with a location like Visakhapatnam, I don't even know how close the centre will be to a hotel. How do we plan ahead?' said Dr Ashik Basheer, state president of the General Practitioners Association.
Candidates have also voiced concerns over inflated travel and accommodation prices.
