KNRUHS seals exam branch after script tampering allegations rock PG medical evaluation
Warangal: The postgraduate medical examination process recently conducted in Telangana has now come into question as a fact-finding committee of the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) flagged serious irregularities in the exam.
The KNRUHS panel started probing the matter after a student raised allegations of her answer script being tampered with. Confirming this, the Vice-Chancellor of KNRUHS, Dr. PV Nanda Kumar Reddy, told TNIE that the inquiry commenced after the concerned student approached the University claiming she had been declared ineligible and unfairly failed in the postgraduate medical exams.
During the revaluation, the student's paper was open, and once her identity was revealed via the decoding process, she was called for clarification, the VC further told TNIE.
After the incident, the principal secretary of the Health and Medical Department, Christina Z Chongthu, set up a three-member committee to investigate the matter, and the panel on Thursday found irregularities and sealed the examination branch.
The student explained during the interaction that she had a long-standing dispute with an assistant professor at a private medical college in Narketpally, where she pursued her education three years ago.
As per the latest media report by The New Indian Express, the student informed the University that the professor had been removed from the college after girl students filed complaints of harassment. She alleged that since the removal of the concerned professor, he had been stalking her and harassing her by sending messages.
The candidate suspected that the professor could have allegedly used his connections to "sabotage" her PG answer script by getting evaluators to mark several answers with an ‘X’.
Allegedly, even though she scored fairly in the first seven questions, three theory questions were left unevaluated with the answers being marked 'X'. This raised doubts about the deliberate tampering.
Commenting on this, KNRUHS VC Dr. Reddy said, "When we reopened the paper for revaluation, all three answers were found to be correct." He further added, "I personally called the evaluators and instructed them to award marks if the answers were valid. After proper evaluation, she secured the qualifying marks."
The Vice Chancellor claimed that the University acted in the interest of justice and fairness. However, he also expressed concerns over the practice of unknown individuals spreading rumours that KNRUHS officials accepted bribes to pass students.
According to the VC, either the student or the college management must lodge a formal complaint with the police to establish who was behind the alleged tampering.
Commenting on the matter, a senior professor from the Government Medical College in Warangal, told TNIE, on the condition of anonymity, that the revaluation of medical examination papers can be conducted only by court order. He clarified that "If the court orders a revaluation, the university must do it in the presence of the student. Without court directions, revaluation cannot be undertaken. Only recounting can be done without any order."
Meanwhile, alleging serious malpractices in the PG entrance examination results and tampering with UG results at KNRUHS, senior BRS leader and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao has submitted a representation to the National Medical Commission (NMC), Governor and KNRUHS chancellor.
Also Read: KNRUHS reopens registration for PG medical admissions under management quota, details
