Post-graduate medical students have planned to stage a protest on Monday against deficiencies in exam valuation process. The students say the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University did not re-evaluate their papers as per norms.
The complaint follows failure of 100 PG students to clear the exams held in April. The results were released on June 3.
According to norms, failed candidates must repeat all the four papers, including practical exams. Also, as per the Medical Council of India (MCI) norms, the qualifying mark is 40 in each paper and an aggregate of 200 marks.
“Most of those who have failed have scored in the range of 45-46, but failed to get an aggregate of 200 marks. The doctors who failed had worked in the wards during the floods. Besides, classes for our batch (in 2013) began late because of the confusion over the National Eligibility and Entrance Test. Thus, we did not get sufficient time to prepare for the exam,” said N.G. Suganth, president of Postgraduate Students’ Association, Madras Medical College.
G.R. Ravindranath, general secretary of Doctors Association for Social Equality who has taken up their cause, said the university had done double valuation for students who had scored below 40 marks but not for those in the 40-50 marks range. He alleged that the university does not employ sufficient number of teachers for evaluation.
University examination authorities say double valuation, when an individual paper score is less than 40 marks, is an option given by the university and not the MCI. S. Parameshwari, Controller of Examination said: “We sent letters to deans of medical colleges on the exam dates and students did not seek postponement then. It is a rule that service candidates should come to the hospital till July to complete the course.”
On the issue of allowing candidates to appear only for the theory papers instead of having to repeat both theory and practical exams, she said the previous Vice-Chancellor, B. Santharam had implemented norms based on a court order.
Candidates blame ward duty during floods and confusion over NEET for poor performance
