When the entrance examinations for MBBS and postgraduate medical courses in the state of J&K were brought under the ambit of NEET there were protests from various quarters that it was a measure which would go against Kashmiri students besides being one more instance of erosion of the autonomy of the state of J&K. A brilliant two-part article on this topic written by Retd. Justice Hasnain Masoodi, which was quite illustrative, appeared in this very newspaper. The authorities as usual rejected all the arguments against NEET as obscurantist and assured that the examinations being conducted by NEET won’t be against the interests of the students in any manner. Facts however belie this claim.
A notification was issued by the National Board of Examinations, New Delhi that starting from session 2017 the Post-Graduate entrance examination for Post-Graduate courses in all Medical Colleges of the country will be conducted by the National Board of Examination (NBE). Online applications for the PG entrance for 2017 session (NEET PG-2017) were invited with the last date for submission of forms being 31st October 2016. The examination is being held from 5th to 13th December 2016. To the utter dismay of Kashmiri aspirants while there are 41 designated centres all over India where the candidates can appear for the entrance examination, there is no centre for examinations in Kashmir valley. The nearest centre is at Jammu which also got filled to capacity more than 10 days before the last date for submitting the form leaving only distant centres in Delhi as the nearest venue for Kashmiri doctors. This has put the Kashmiri doctors appearing for this exam at a disadvantage as they will have to leave their duties and travel to Jammu or Delhi for the exams which is not only inconvenient but will also involve unnecessary expenditure with thousands of doctors having to travel to Jammu or Delhi when all that was required was having a centre at Kashmir as well. This is gross injustice and an example of how the authorities run roughshod over the aspirations of Kashmiri students. This will mean a mass of doctors travelling to the Jammu and Delhi leaving their places of posting, hospitals as well as their families.
One fails to understand that if the authorities are so adamant on holding examinations for various classes which will require mobilisation of huge infrastructure as well as personnel why couldn’t it hold an examination that would require considerably less infrastructure and personnel. Doesn’t this give credence to the claim that the authorities are hardly bothered about the career and prospects of Kashmiri students and all the brouhaha about examinations is just a political gambit?
The problem is further compounded in case of female candidates who will need someone to accompany them. Since a sizeable number of the candidates are married and have small kids to take care of in many cases it will mean the whole family is either disturbed or will be accompanying the candidate. The CM who is herself a female can very well understand this predicament. The question is will she? Does she have enough concern for the students and perhaps more importantly the clout to press for a centre for the NEET examinations in Kashmir? This will also require extension in the last date for submission of forms. But one doesn’t have many expectations on this account. Nobody will bother for this issue isn’t likely to grab news headlines like say announcing the Scooty scheme for girls.
Just because there is no centre for NEET PG entrance in Kashmir I won’t be able to appear for this exam and I know many more won’t be appearing for the same reason. But then being Kashmiris we might as well accept the fact that we are the wretched of the earth and remain resigned to our fate.