MUHS Writes to NMC Asking Permission to Allow External Examiners conduct Online Practical exam

Acting on the Vice-Chancellor Lt Gen (Dr) Madhuri Kanitkar's (retd) isstructions, controller of examinations Dr Ajit Pathak wrote to the apex medical education regulatory body NMC and sought its nod for allowing some of the external examiners to conduct the exam through video-conferencing, reports TOI.

Such a request has been made by the University taking the fact into account that some of the examiners might not be able to remain present physically to conduct the exam.

The practical exams of PG (allopathy) and super-speciality (winter 2021) has commenced on Monday and they will continue till December 15. Around 109 students are appearing for the exams.

In case of PG practical exams, involvement of two external examiners, apart from two internal ones is mandatory. In fact, physical presence of all the four examiners is required as well.

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As per the latest media report by the Times of India, MUHS had decided the names of the external examiners around two months ago when the present crisis regarding COVID-19 was not present.

Officials have informed the daily that the external examiners, who are from neighbouring states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka etc. have no problem in remaining physically present. For instance, examiners from Gujarat will remain present during examination at medical colleges in Dhule and Jalgaon. In case of medical college in Nagpur, external examiners from MP will remain present.

However, examiners hailing from states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab might face problems. Speaking to Medical Dialogues regarding the issue, MUHS officials said, "he problem is with some of the external examiners who hail from far-off states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab etc. They have to undertake air travel to reach Maharashtra before travelling by road to the assigned medical college. There is hesitancy among such external examiners."

Dr Pathak has informed the daily that during the previous waves of the COVID-19, MUHS had allowed external examiners to remain present via video conferencing.

Meanwhile, the MUHS VC Dr Kantikar has made it clear that the practical exams for PG and Super-Specialty courses would be conducted on time. She further informed the daily that a section of examiners might face difficulties due to the restrictions imposed on the backdrop of new Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.

"We have requested the NMC to allow such examiners to conduct the examination online. We have also put in place a backup plan in case these external examiners are unable to take the exam online. We shall involve faculties of deemed medical universities in our state to be external examiners," said Kanitkar, further mentioning that she has already talked to the NMC authorities regarding the issue.