A Brief Timeline Of Events

From 8,000 online petition to postpone NEET MDS 2024 exam to July to Supreme Court hearing; check a brief timeline of events.

Postpone NEET MDS 2024 To July: National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test -MDS is an eligibility-cum-ranking examination prescribed as the single entrance examination for admission to various MDS Courses under Dentists Act, 1948 (amended from time to time). For the past month, MDS aspirants have been protesting against the scheduled NEET MDS exam date. And with the latest Supreme Court hearing, it is clear that the examination will be held as per the original plan, March 18, 2024. Despite several petitions, letters, and protests, the examination will held as per the academic calendar given by the National Board of Examinations (NBE). In this article, we have provided you with a brief timeline of events.

NEET MDS 2024: Here’s a Brief Timeline of Events

• January 11: After the postponement of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG), National Chairman of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), Dr Rohan Krishnan and the Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) aspirants are requesting the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India(MoHFW) and National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences(NBEMS), New Delhi to release the official examination date for NEET MDS examination. In addition to it, a section of aspirants want the exam authority to conduct the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Masters of Dental Surgery(NEET MDS) in July 2024. However, if you go by the NBEMS Exam calendar 2024, NEET MDS is tentatively scheduled to be held on February 9, 2024.
• January 17: After the postponement of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG), it is likely that NEET-MDS will be held in the third week of March, official sources were quoted as saying to news agency ANI. The NEET-MDS is likely to be held on March 18 this year, the report further said.
•  January 18: Ahead of the release of the notification for the NEET MDS 2024 examination, a fake timetable of the medical entrance examination is circulating on various social media platforms. The fake notice claims the NEET MDS 2024 registration will start on Tuesday, February 25, 2024.  Meanwhile, the cut-off date for the purpose of eligibility to appear in the NEET MDS 2024 shall be 15th May 2024, claims the fake notice. The fake circular includes the NEET MDS 2024 registration date and the notification schedule of the entrance examination.
• January 20: As January draws to a close, there has been no update from the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) or its officials regarding the specific details of the NEET MDS 2024 exam notification. Disheartened and frustrated students have turned to various social media platforms to voice their concerns and disappointment about the lack of information on this crucial matter. Tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Office of the Prime Minister of India, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, NEET MDS aspirants have urged them to consider postponing the entrance examination to July 2024.
• January 27, 2024: Expressing disappointment with the scheduled NEET MDS 2024 exam date, aspiring candidates launched a Twitter campaign using hashtags such as #Postponeneetmds2024toJULY, #postponeneetmds2024tilljuly, #NEETMDS2024POSTPONEMENT, and #POSTPONENEETMDS2024. Aspirants have started several petitions on Change.org seeking the postponement of NEET MDS 2024 exams. Over 8,000 signed the petition.
• January 29, 2024: The All India Student’s Union(AISU) on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urging them to postpone the NEET MDS examination till July 2024.
• January 31, 2024: The NBEMS NEET MDS 2024 online application form as well as the information bulletin was published.
• February 16, 2024: Candidates argue that the decision to postpone the NEET PG 2024 exam from March 3 to July 7 is discriminatory, especially when compared to the NEET MDS exam. Initially scheduled for February 9, the NEET MDS 2024 exam has been rescheduled to March 18, 2024, according to a notice dated January 20. This represents a mere extension of 38 calendar days from the originally planned date. The aspirants’ request to the authorities was to move the competitive exam from March to July. Two candidates have approached the Supreme Court urging for the postponement of the NEET MDS exam.
• February 21, 2024: A Supreme Court hearing was scheduled on February 21, 2024.
• February 21, 2024: The Supreme Court of India refused to decide on the extension of the internship cut-off date for NEET MDS 2024. SC stated that the Union government is “more suited to take a call on the issue.” The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday refused to interfere with the NEET MDS 2024 Exam Date and NEET MDS 2024 Internship Cut-Off Date. The bench, consisting of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra were hearing the petitions filed seeking the postponement of the NEET MDS examination this year. “Sr Adv Colin Gonsalves submits that such a representation has already been made. We direct that representation be dealt with expeditiously and preferably within a period of one week from the date of this matter. We clarify that we have not expressed any opinion and it will be open to the union govt to take a call,” the bench pronounced as reported by Livelaw.

NEET MDS 2024 Application Closes: What’s Next?

Candidates who have successfully submitted their payment for the application during the application submission window will only be allowed to edit their form from February 22 to February 25, 2024.  Any information/document can be changed/corrected during the edit window except for the name, test city, nationality, mobile number, and email ID. The examination is scheduled to be held on March 18.