Medical Students protest against NEXT

MBBS students of 400 medical colleges,both private and government across the country staged protests against the proposed National Exit Exam(NEXT), on Wednesday.They boycotted classes and conducted rallies and dharnas against the proposed Exit Exam. The students were supported by the Indian Medical Association (IMA)

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the Medical Council of India's (MCI) consent, has proposed some amendments in the Indian Medical Council (IMC) Ac,t to introduceThe National Exit Exam for MBBS graduates. Only after clearing this exam, will an MBBS graduate be qualified to practice medicine and apply for post-graduate courses.

Bangalore city saw medical students come out in numbers to raise an outcry against the implementation of NEXT.They stood outside their college gates with placards in hand shouting anti NEXT slogans.Memorandums by students had been handed over to the state and local administrative heads in this regard, on Tuesday too.

In a memorandum, the students said, "The examinations are conducted by universities which are recognized by University Grants Commission and MBBS examination is therefore rightfully a qualifying examination for the degree of Modern Medicine. Therefore, introducing NEXT as a qualifying examination is unnecessary and makes the university examination redundant," Deccan Herald reports.

Students felt taking an entrance exam in addition to their MBBS exams would be taxing. Dr Manoop Kumaraswamy, Member, Young Doctors' Association, IMA said, "What is the necessity for an exam when we are already preparing for NEET PG? Students will have to clear yet another exam. Instead, the government can just refine the existing system. Besides, we are told that even Ayush doctors clearing this exam will be granted permission to prescribe allopathy medicines after a bridge course."

Pune: The streets of Pune saw 4000 strong collective of medical students take to the streets in protests against the imposition of NEET .

Coming down strongly upon this new introduction, National President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Mr. KK Aggarwal and Dr R N Tandon, Honorary Secretary General of IMA, Pune issued a joint statement .

"This common exit test for all MBBS students, being introduced to standardize medical education across the nation, is "not in the interest of medical profession and health of the society at large," it stated.

"Why another exam then? This is only increasing burden and not quality," protested Devavrat Shirolkar, an MBBS student at the city's Kashibai Navale Medical College and Hospital, reported Pune Mirror.

Thirivananthapuram also witnessed an exodus of students outside their respective medical colleges holding placards against the imposition of NEXT.

"MBBS is rated as the toughest course and the exams are even tougher. The best students get to do the course in India, where it is strictly conducted by the university and supervised by the Medical Council of India and the government. Yet the government feels they have to be tested further before being allowed to practice," said Dr N Sulphi, State Secretary, IMA(Thiruvanathapuram) on Tuesday.

Feeling concerned about those who may not qualify the exam, the IMA leaders said that it would result in denying registration to fully qualified medical graduates, which they felt would be grave injustice to them.

The IMA leaders(Thiruvanathapuram), further felt that students already had to go through a series of three fold subject examinations in all the subjects-theory clinical and viva, with a bar set at a high 50 % marks. Subjecting them to another exam was nothing, but sheer harassment, . They also brought up the issue of the bill exempting foreign graduates from qualifying the exam to practice in India, stated a TOI report.

The doctors of the city also took an anti Next Pledge on Wednesday. They reiterated that they would continue their agitation, if the centre did not withdraw its proposal.