A section of the postgraduate medical aspirants has expressed their concerns over the decision to hold the Institutes of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INICET) on June 16 stating that they had only a short window for preparations and many were busy with COVID-19 duties.
INICET is held for admission to the postgraduate courses in 11 prominent medical institutes including the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry (JIPMER). The notification for the online exam was issued on May 27.
The aspirants have now urged the authorities to postpone the exam, as there was a gap of only 20 days between the date of notification and the test date. “Many of us had taken up COVID-19 duties in various hospitals after the Union government urged MBBS students to join the fight against the pandemic. We were under the impression that the national-level test would not be held in such a short notice,” they said.
The students pointed out that many had migrated from their place of stay during the last few months and there was no option to change the exam centre. An aspirant took to social media to explain that those who took up the pandemic duty had signed a bond for a period of three months. “We need to inform well in advance (at least one month before) if we are planning to leave the assignment,” he said.
A few other aspirants feared that holding the exam on June 16 may be counterproductive as many doctors had tested positive. “The test may turn into a super spreader event. We need to wait for the second wave to recede and the exam could be held after two to three months. The authorities had assured us earlier that the postgraduate exams will not be held till August 31,” they said.