Srinagar not meeting required security for setting up NEET-SS exam centre: Board

Aspirants urges LG Sinha to intervene

Jahangeer Ganaie

Srinagar, Aug 11 (KNO): The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences has said required standards of security aren’t being met at Srinagar to hold NEET-SS examination.

The National Medical organisation (NMO) had written to NBE demanding NEET-SS examination centre in Kashmir.

While responding to the letter of NMO, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) has said that the required standards of security aren’t being met at the centres available in Srinagar to hold examinations.

“I have got the matter examined with the concerned department. It is for your kind information that NEET Super Specialty Entrance Examination is a high-stake examination conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences on a pan India basis. For the examination to be held on 9th and 10th September 2023, NBEMS has identified examination centers in 36 cities across the country.

“Consideration of a test city for holding an examination depends upon a multitude of factors including but not limited to the availability of secure test centres to hold a particular examination. The audit of available test centers in the city of Srinagar has revealed that the required standards of security are not met at the centres available to hold the examination as on date. Accordingly, Srinagar has not been considered as a test city for conduct of the said examination.” read the letter of NBE to NMO, a copy of which lies with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).

The NEET-SS 2023 will be conducted in Jammu city and candidates of J&K can write their exams there.

“It is not feasible to conduct the examination compromising any standards of security applicable. No test centre was offered in the city of Srinagar in the last NEET-SS as well, held on 1st and 2nd September 2022,” it added.

Aspirants have questioned that if required standards of security are being met for conducting NEET-PG and UPSC examinations then why not for NEET-SS.

Dr Rubeena Bhat incharge of the resident doctors association of SKIMS Srinagar told KNO that National Board of Examination (NBE) authorities are saying that due to security reasons they are not keeping the centre at Srinagar.

“If the standard for UPSC centre at Srinagar is acceptable then why not for NEET-SS,” she asked.

Several candidates who have to appear in the examination told KNO that they will have to spend more than Rs 20,000 per head and at least three to four days of travel to other states to appear in the examination.

“We aren’t against setting up examination centre in Jammu but there is a need for such centres in Kashmir as well where there are hundreds of candidates,” they said.

“In case no examination centre was being established in Kashmir, we will have to bear the financial strain of flight tickets, and hotel accommodations besides uncertainty due to the frequent closures on the highway.”

The upset candidates have already written to LG Manoj Sinha to intervene at the earliest so that they won’t have to suffer—(KNO)