HC frowns upon ‘grace’ marks for medical students
Special Correspondent
CHENNAI, May 01, 2018 00:00 IST
Says patients will have to dependon God if such practice is allowed
Patients would have to necessarily depend upon the grace of God to recuperate from their illness if medical students are allowed to pass examinations through grace marks, the Madras High Court has said. The observation was made while dismissing a writ petition filed by an MBBS student from Puducherry who failed even in the second attempt in ophthalmology paper and could not clear the third year of her studies due to shortage of three marks.
“Of course, appearing for the same paper again and again will undoubtedly make the candidate well versed in the subject,” Justice S. Vaidyanthan said, taking a subtle dig at the student. He rejected her plea for three grace marks on the ground that the Medical Council of India (MCI) regulations permit grant of grace marks only when a student had failed in one of all the subjects taken at a time and not when he/she fails in a single paper in the second attempt.
The judge pointed out that the petitioner had taken three papers – community medicine, ENT and ophthalmology – in June 2016 and failed in the third paper. She wrote the ophthalmology paper once in November 2017 and could not clear it this time too. She had scored only 29 out of 80 marks though the minimum marks required for clearing the paper was 32. Since university regulations provide for grace marks, she chose to approach the court.
However, opposing the writ plea, MCI’s counsel V.P. Raman brought it to the notice of the court that clause 13(10) of its 1997 regulations clearly state that “grace marks up to a maximum of five marks may be awarded at the discretion of the university to a student who has failed only in one subject but has passed in all other subjects.”
After recording his submissions, the judge said: “She (petitioner) is certainly not entitled to grace marks in view of the above Medical Council of India Regulations cited supra.”
Special Correspondent
CHENNAI, May 01, 2018 00:00 IST
Says patients will have to dependon God if such practice is allowed
Patients would have to necessarily depend upon the grace of God to recuperate from their illness if medical students are allowed to pass examinations through grace marks, the Madras High Court has said. The observation was made while dismissing a writ petition filed by an MBBS student from Puducherry who failed even in the second attempt in ophthalmology paper and could not clear the third year of her studies due to shortage of three marks.
“Of course, appearing for the same paper again and again will undoubtedly make the candidate well versed in the subject,” Justice S. Vaidyanthan said, taking a subtle dig at the student. He rejected her plea for three grace marks on the ground that the Medical Council of India (MCI) regulations permit grant of grace marks only when a student had failed in one of all the subjects taken at a time and not when he/she fails in a single paper in the second attempt.
The judge pointed out that the petitioner had taken three papers – community medicine, ENT and ophthalmology – in June 2016 and failed in the third paper. She wrote the ophthalmology paper once in November 2017 and could not clear it this time too. She had scored only 29 out of 80 marks though the minimum marks required for clearing the paper was 32. Since university regulations provide for grace marks, she chose to approach the court.
However, opposing the writ plea, MCI’s counsel V.P. Raman brought it to the notice of the court that clause 13(10) of its 1997 regulations clearly state that “grace marks up to a maximum of five marks may be awarded at the discretion of the university to a student who has failed only in one subject but has passed in all other subjects.”
After recording his submissions, the judge said: “She (petitioner) is certainly not entitled to grace marks in view of the above Medical Council of India Regulations cited supra.”
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