FORDA India Urges Government Intervention in NEET MDS-2024 Eligibility Crisis

In a direct appeal to the Union Health Minister, FORDA outlined the critical issues surrounding the NEET MDS-2024 exam, including faulty eligibility criteria, inadequate preparation time, and the lack of parity with MBBS interns in terms of exam scheduling.

In a bid to address the mounting concerns of aspirants for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Master of Dental Surgery (NEET MDS) 2024, representatives from the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) India have engaged in crucial discussions with officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

In a series of tweets, FORDA India highlighted the pressing issues faced by NEET MDS-2024 aspirants and appealed to government authorities for intervention. The association emphasized the need for a prompt resolution to safeguard the career prospects of thousands of students.

FORDA's tweet stated: “FORDA INDIA representatives met the officials from MoHFW_INDIA to put forth the genuine demands of #NEETMDS2024 aspirants. 'We’ve submitted our letter and requested @mansukhmandviya ji to consider their demands. Based on our interactions, we strongly feel that DCI should’ve done better,' FORDA tweet reads.

”Moreover, FORDA underscored the urgency of the situation, stating, “It’s upto @MoHFW_INDIA & @OfficeOf_MM now to save the career of so many students.”

In a direct appeal to the Union Health Minister, FORDA outlined the critical issues surrounding the NEET MDS-2024 exam, including faulty eligibility criteria, inadequate preparation time, and the lack of parity with MBBS interns in terms of exam scheduling.

FORDA urged the government to take the following actions:

• Reschedule the NEET MDS-2024 exam: Considering the challenges faced by aspirants, FORDA advocated for a reasonable postponement to ensure fairness and equal opportunity.
• Extend the internship cutoff date: FORDA emphasized the need to extend the eligibility cutoff date, allowing around 8000 interns to participate in the exam.
• Conduct common counseling and admissions: FORDA proposed synchronized counseling and admissions processes with NEET PG to streamline the overall admission procedure.

The association stressed that these measures are essential to uphold the aspirations of MDS aspirants and align with the government's vision of a healthy India.

As the NEET MDS-2024 exam date approaches, FORDA awaits a swift response from the government to address the concerns raised, providing much-needed relief to the affected students.

The outcome of these discussions and the subsequent actions taken by the government are eagerly awaited by aspirants and stakeholders alike.

Students have raised significant concerns over the alarming number of more than 8000 aspirants being deemed ineligible for the NEET MDS exam, sparking doubts about the fairness and transparency of the selection process. They are advocating for parity with NEET PG, the equivalent exam for medical postgraduate admissions, which has been rescheduled to July. Students emphasize the immense psychological toll of uncertainty on their well-being and are urging authorities to consider their plight seriously.

The NEET MDS 2024 exam is currently scheduled to take place on March 18, 2024, with admit cards set to be released on March 13, 2024. However, students argue that the internship cut-off date for NEET MDS is March 31, 2024. This leaves them with insufficient time to fulfill the eligibility criteria, adding to their anxiety and concerns about their future prospects.