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Awaiting state policy to hold exams for PG medical students: Maharashtra University of Health Sciences
The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) informed the Bombay high court (HC) that it is awaiting the state government’s policy to conduct the final-year
The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) informed the Bombay high court (HC) that it is awaiting the state government’s policy to conduct the final-year exams of postgraduate (PG) medical students, after one of the aspirants approached HC, seeking directions to the authorities to declare the exam dates and conduct the final-year exams of Doctorate of medicine (MD) and Master of Surgery (MS) courses. The state informed the court on Thursday that as the students and examiners were involved in Covid-19 duties, a policy was being framed to ensure that the future of the students did not suffer.
A division bench of justice SJ Kathawalla and justice VG Bisht, while hearing a petition filed by Dr Nishant Gabbur through video conferencing, was informed by advocates Vishwanath Patil and Kewal Ahya that the MS (general surgery) aspirant from Akkalkot, Solapur, who is pursuing the course from Seth GS Medical College in Parel appeared for the entrance test held for DM/MCh (Doctorate of Medicine/Masters in Surgery) courses conducted by the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, on June 21. Patil submitted that Gabbur secured the second place in the all-India ranking in general category for neurosurgery, and on June 30, was granted a provisional appointment/ admission letter by the Chadigarh-based institute. After Gabbur informed the institute that he was facing a difficulty in joining the course because the state was yet to conduct the final-year exams, it allowed him to join by July 6.
Patil further submitted that Gabbur and another student, Ajinkya Rewatkar, who secured a seat in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for MCh Neurosurgery, wrote to the MUHS, seeking to secure their future, but as there was no response, Gabbur was left with no option but to approach HC.
“The petitioner is caught in a dilemma and a situation which is beyond his control, as the MUHS decided to postpone the graduate and PG examinations that were to be held on June 18. MUHS has not resolved the situation, thereby hanging the career of the petitioner at jeopardy, with the risk of losing one entire year and the entire process of preparation and reappearing for entrance tests.”
Patil submitted that like Gabbur, there were hundreds of postgraduate medical students, who were placed in a similar situation, and hence the court should issue directions to MUHS to ensure that the future of such students was secured.
Assistant government pleader Jyoti Chavan submitted that as PG students were involved in Covid-19 duties, the government was holding meetings to frame a policy for conducting final-year exams for PG medical courses. Chavan then sought time on the grounds that the process involved preparation of schedule, to ensure that all safety norms were adhered to, and the state would inform the court about it in the next hearing.
After hearing the submissions the court observed that all steps taken by MUHS and PGIMER would be bound by the decision of the court and posted the matter for hearing on July 14.
