Exam papers not set according to NMC norms: Telangana medicos stage protest, KNRUHS VC says No to Re-exam
Hyderabad: Claiming that the question papers for the supplementary exam had not been set as per the norms set by the National Medical Commission (NMC), around 40 Telangana based first-year MBBS students recently staged a protest.
Gathering at Osmania Medical College at around 4.30 PM on Friday, the students belonging to Osmania, Gandhi, TRR and Bhaskar Medical Colleges alleged irregularities in the process of conducting the supplementary examinations by Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS).
Although the students were demanding either re-examination or revaluation of previous question papers, the Vice Chancellor of KNRUHS has denied all the demands for re-exam.
The University VC has clarified that the students should have reported about any problems with the question paper on the exam day and not after the declaration of the results.
Also Read: GMCs in every district, MBBS seats to go up to 5,240 in Telangana
As per the latest media report by Edex Live, the problem concerned the first-year MBBS students in Telangana who had secured very low marks in the examinations. They claimed that the reason why they had failed was because of the tough question papers and the process of evaluation in their first-year exams. Reportedly several students had failed in the exam because of only one mark.
The New Indian Express adds that holding a protest at Osmania Medical College, the students alleged irregularities in the conduct of the supplementary examinations by KNRUHS.
While commenting on the matter, a student told the daily, "Our supplementary exam question papers were not set according to the standards of the National Medical Commission. According to the norms, the question paper should have MCQs for 20 marks. However, the entire paper included long answer questions."
The medicos have decided to continue their dharna until the University gives assurance to them about holding re-examination or reevualiating the earlier papers.
Claiming that the University denied their requests, a first-year student from the state's Gandhi Medical College, on condition of anonymity told Edex Live, "But when we approached our professors and subsequently our VC, to request them for a re-evaluation or giving us another chance at writing the exam, they downright refused."
"Most of us had performed well, and these low marks were unexpected. So, we asked for a revaluation. When they denied this, we asked the authorities to conduct the exam again, but this request was also turned down," he added.
Referring to their mental state, the student further added, "Many are depressed. We are the COVID-19 batch, who did not attend their practical exams. On top of that, the question paper was not set according to the NMC norms."
The students have claimed that as per the norms set by NMC the question paper should contain only short-answer type questions of 5 marks and a total of 10 questions and the students are required to answer these questions within 2.5 hours.
In this regard, the students claimed, "But we got 20 long-answer type questions of 15 marks each and only 3 hours to finish the exam."
They further alleged that when they approached the colleges with this matter, they had been asked by the authorities for contacting KNRUHS and later the University directed them to talk to their colleges.
"So we decided to approach the government and met Minister Harish Rao (Health Minister of Telangana). He said he would ask the VC to consider reconducting the exam, but nothing was done. So we turned to protest," the students told Edex Live.
Mentioning that the NMC guidelines get strictly followed in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh, the protesters told the daily, "But we are now left behind by our peers there. We are at the risk of repeating a year, whereas they would be promoted to the second year."
While commenting on the issue, the State President of Telangana's Juniorn Doctors' Association, Dr. Karthik Nagula said, "The university should consider the plight of the students. About 30 first-year MBBS students protested today, but the marks affect about 350 of them. Students from both private and government colleges are affected."
"KNRUHS has never been punctual with its exam schedules. Even for PG students, the schedule is never released on time. We have to ask them again and again for it. And the authorities are not at all cooperative," he further claimed.
Although the students claimed that they had been turned away by the University, such allegations have been refuted by the KNRUHS VC Dr B Karunakar Reddy, who told Edex Live that "Only parents came to meet me."
Referring to the protest staged by the students, he mentioned, "If there was any problem with the question paper, students should report it to the University on the exam day and not after the results are declared."
"I was informed by the officials of the Health Minister that parents will try to meet me. Later, on Wednesday (August 17), they did come," he further mentioned.
Providing details regarding what the parents had asked, the VC further mentioned, "Parents said they wanted re-exam as students couldn't prepare well due to COVID-19 and couldn't understand the course due to online classes."
"Parents demanded to reduce the pass percentage or increase the grace marks." To which the VC said, "It is not in my purview. Only NMC has to decide," he added.
Confirming that the question paper had been duly checked by the concerned subject head individually, he added, "On the exam day, every professor moderated the paper."
Also Read: Medicos protest at KNRUHS seeking immediate reallocation to other medical colleges
