Patna Medical college hospital creates Whatsapp group to track MBBS students attendance

Patna: The Patna Medical College hospital has created a WhatsApp group for parents of the medicos studying there, to reportedly check on the attendance of the students, in order to prevent their rampant absenteeism and to 'discipline' them, reports the Hindustan Times. 

The PMCH principal Vidyapati Chaudhary said, "Students bunking classes is a perennial problem. We want to inculcate a strong sense of discipline among our students. Our faculty members... advised creating the WhatsApp group for guardians to promptly inform them about [indiscipline]...,."

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According to Chaudhary, the faculty members of the college are required to keep a close watch on the attendance records and other activities of the students, and accordingly report the parents of the medicos who show any 'indiscipline'.

Chaudhary said, "Towards the end of an academic session, we get a lot of calls from politicians seeking favors on behalf of students, who do not have the requisite attendance to appear for examinations. This is not a happy situation and we have now decided to keep the guardians informed."

Rajiv Kumar Singh, the head of the psychology department in the college is the administrator of the group. The college also sought self-addressed envelopes from guardians to keep them informed in case of any 'indiscipline', reports the HT.

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According to the National Medical Commission, a body that governs the medical curriculum in India, 80% attendance is mandatory for students in practical and 75% in theory, in order to become eligible for exams. 

Physical classes began in PMCH on February 28, after the government lifted the Covid-19 related curbs. The present MBBS session, of 2020-2021 was delayed by seven months due to the pandemic. 

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