Indian Medical Association Urges Timely NEET PG 2024 Counselling Amid Supreme Court Delay

In its correspondence, the IMA urges the Ministry to engage with relevant authorities, including the Supreme Court, to expedite the resolution of the ongoing case.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has officially reached out to J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, expressing urgent concerns regarding the delay in the NEET PG 2024 counselling process. The letter highlights that this delay is primarily due to an ongoing case in the Supreme Court of India, which has left thousands of aspiring postgraduate medical students in a state of uncertainty.

The IMA emphasizes that the postponement is causing significant distress among NEET PG candidates, who have dedicated immense effort to secure their positions for postgraduate medical education. This delay is not only affecting students’ futures but is also hampering the operational capabilities of healthcare institutions. Timely induction of postgraduate students is crucial for maintaining a steady influx of medical professionals into hospitals and medical colleges, especially as the healthcare system grapples with increasing pressures.

The IMA letter states that while the IMA respects the judicial process, it calls on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to actively seek solutions that prevent further detriment to the students' academic and professional pathways. The association warns that continued delays could disrupt the academic calendar, potentially jeopardizing the training and deployment of specialist doctors at a critical time for the nation’s healthcare system.

Moreover, the IMA points out additional complications faced by state counselling committees regarding the awarding of incentive marks to in-service candidates, exacerbated by the non-disclosure of marks this year. The letter requests a declaration of a normalised score to facilitate the smooth progression of state quota counselling.

In its correspondence, the IMA urges the Ministry to engage with relevant authorities, including the Supreme Court, to expedite the resolution of the ongoing case. They propose that, if necessary, interim measures be considered to allow the counselling process to commence, thus safeguarding the interests of both students and the healthcare system.

The IMA concludes with an expression of confidence in the Ministry's leadership, offering its support to address this pressing issue. The association hopes for prompt government action to alleviate the concerns of lakhs of students and ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the medical education system.