A section of senior health ministry officials, whose children are all set to appear for the post-graduate medical entrance examinations, are apparently opposing the government’s move to conduct “common online test” for the entrance exams in the lines of the IIM.
Sources say that these officials feel that their children might not be “comfortable” in the particular format. “These officials have advised that the old pencil-paper format should be used,” a senior health ministry official revealed.
Incidentally, the common online test has been approved by the ministry. Following the objection being raised by this particular section of officials, the ministry has called a review meeting on Monday.
Members of National Board of Examination (NBE) and Medical Council of India (MCI) will be present in the review meeting.
It may be recalled that the NBE has already decided to replicate the IIM model, an “online test” format, for the students. It is unlikely that the NBE will change its stance. Union health secretary P.K. Pradhan, however, said that “the meeting has been called to see the arrangement being done by the NBE and even finalise the date”. The proposal for the new method of testing had already been approved by health secretary.
Despite the objections, the NBE officials said that the new system “offers flexibility for candidates to choose any date in the 10-day period for the test.” While, the format is same as followed by IIM, the 10-day window period allows students to appear for the test at their convenience, making it user-friendly. Besides invigilators, CCTVs and biometric identification systems will also be put in place for the exam.
“The curriculum has been prepared by the MCI and the bank of question papers will be prepared by NBE,” said a senior official in the health ministry. The NBE officials say that the new method will put the private coaching on the back foot and since there will be different set of questions.
Earlier this year, the health ministry had approached the NBE for conducting CET for PG students after the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) expressed its inability in conducting it, citing lack of manpower.
Approximately 60,000 students appear every year for various PG medical examinations. The AIIMS conduct PG entrance for 50 per cent of government seats-which comes to around 4,000 seats.