NT Bureau
Doha: Indian students in Qatar preparing to appear for the medical entrance exam NEET-UG 2024, and their parents, have heaved a sigh of relief as the Indian government has now decided to conduct the NEET (UG) 2024 exam in Doha.
The NEET-UG exam will be conducted in 14 foreign cities, including Doha, on May 5, the National Testing Agency in India announced on Wednesday.
The move comes after the NTA received requests from aspirants as the information bulletin for the exam notified earlier this month had no mention of centres outside India for candidates to attempt the test.
“It has been decided that the exam will also be conducted in 14 foreign cities in 12 countries,” said NTA Senior Director (Exams) Sadhna Parashar.
Parents and students in Qatar were under intense stress as they were worried that students would have to travel to India to attend the exam, incurring huge expenses and in the face of other difficulties.
“The decision comes as a huge relief to parents and students in Qatar who were worried that they would have to travel to India for the exam. They were all under huge stress and a few parents had even booked tickets to travel to India,” Mohammed Ashraf, Director of Brilliant Qatar, told News Trail.
“Appearing for the exam in Qatar offers them a psychological advantage and also saves time and cost. The government in India now should declare Doha and other foreign cities as permanent centres. This is the right of students, not a favour, and was achieved after a long struggle, which included approaching the court,” Ashraf added.
The 14 foreign cities where the exam will be conducted are Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah (the UAE); Kuwait city in Kuwait; Bangkok in Thailand; Colombo in Sri Lanka; Doha in Qatar; Kathmandu in Nepal; Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia; Lagos in Nigeria; Manama in Bahrain; Muscat in Oman; Riyadh in Saudi Arabia; and Singapore. The exam will be conducted at 554 centres across India.
“Candidates who have already selected centres in India and paid the fee without the option for foreign centres but they want to appear for the exam at centres outside India will have the opportunity to correct their centre and country choice during the correction window, which will open after the registration window closes,” Parashar said.
NEET-UG is the qualifying entrance exam for admission to Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (BSMS), Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS), and Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) and BSc (H) Nursing courses.
The last date for submitting applications is March 9 while the result for the exam will be announced on June 14.
