Punjab : PMET 2016 in two shifts, All centres in the state

 

Punjab: All three exam centers for the PMET-2016 in Haryana in view of the renewed Jat agitation have been withdrawn by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot. The centers have now been allocated all across Punjab. 2,000 students were to appear for the test in three towns of Haryana.

The decision was taken keeping in view apprehensions that were rife among students , parents and political circles about the oncoming PMET and BDS online entrance exam for Punjab state being conducted in Haryana and Jammu which in view of the concerned were states subject to the jat agitation and terrorists attacks, respectively.

To meet the inadequacy of computers in Punjab for the online PMET, the medical university will be conducting the test in two shifts; 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm. 'Around 8,000 medical aspirants will appear in the test in each shift at exam centres established across Punjab,' said Dr Raj Bahadur, Vice-Chancellor, BFUHS as reported in the Tribune. The PMET is scheduled for June 11.The Vice Chancellor, Mr. Raj Bahadur has asked all students to check exam center details at the university website. “We want all second shift students to reach their exam centers by 12.30 pm so that they can enter the exam room one hour before the start of the test,' he said.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the IT company which was given the contract by the university to conduct the PMET 2016 online, was facing problems in arranging about 16,000 computers in the state for taking the test in one go. Therefore, the decision to post entrants in bordering states to give the exam had been taken.

The PMET was scheduled to be held in one shift from 11 am to 2 pm on June 11. Legal differences over the common entrance test, NEET, led to the the test date for PMET being changed to June 11 from May 15. BFUHS is conducting the PMET online for the first time.

Prior to the recent shift back of exam centers to Punjab,Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal has asked Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot to review its decision of center allocations in the neighboring states. BFUHS is a body, which is responsible for conducting the PMET 2016 for admissions in MBBS and BDS courses in Punjab state.

Speaking to the Tribune, on an earlier occasion, Mr. Badal had informed that he was of the opinion that all centres for the PMET 2016 should be set up within the state, as Punjab had an exceptional educational infrastructure. The Chief Minister keeping parental apprehensions in mind has gone ahead and spoken to the university’s vice chancellor .

The IT firm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) who has been employed to conduct the exam had made it amply clear to the university that it would be impossible to have the entire appearing body of students sit for the entrance test in Punjab, as there were only 12,000 computer system’s available in the state as against the 16,000 required.

As word about PMET 2016 's center allocation being outside the state of Punjab spread, applicants and parents expressed both reservations & concerns. Particularly apprehensive were the entrants who felt unsafe travelling to Haryana, after the pro reservation stirs. Voices of concern were also raised about Sambha in J&K, , keeping in mind the terrorist attacks that had taken place in the area, last year.

Many parents had misgivings about exam centers being allocated in rural areas, where accommodation and security could get jeopardized.

Mr. Raj Bahadur ,Vice chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences was even pondering over, opting for the old system of ‘on paper test.’

According to the plan as many as 1,257 students from Bathinda and Mansa were take their entrance test at three exam centers in Hissar district; 1276 candidates from Mohali and Patiala would go to Kurukshetra’s four exam centres; 970 candidates from Mohali will go to three exam centers in Ambala; 1,000 candidates from Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts would go to Jammu while 250 candidates from Amritsar and Gurdaspur will appear for PMET in Samba and 150 from Mohali would go to Baddi (HP).

Meanwhile, Indian Medical Association, District President, Gajender Singh Shekhawat commenting on the state of affairs had said, “It is shameful for BFUHS and even for state government if they do not have 16,000 computers to conduct the PMET 2016. They are sending about 5,000 candidates to other states, why they are not taking help from other Punjab institutions?”