Students with mild fever can appear for MUHS exams

Students with mild fever can appear for MUHS exams

Ranjan.Dasgupta@timesgroup.com

Nashik:23.05.2021 

The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) will allow students having mild symptoms of fever, cold and cough to appear for the upcoming health science examinations that will take place offline between June10 and 30.

More than 40,000 students will be appearing for winter 2020 first, second and third-year (undergraduate) exams of all the health science courses and certificate course in modern pharmacology and modern mid-level service provider certificate course.

Although a section of the examinees were demanding that either online examination be held or students be promoted to the next class without exams given the pandemic situation, state medical education minister Amit Deshmukh has made it clear that the examinations will be held offline.

Ajit Pathak, the varsity’s controller of examinations, told TOI that the MUHS will be following the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines in allowing students with mild symptoms of fever, cold and cough to write the exams. “Such students will write their exams in a separate room and the invigilator can be provided with PPE kits if there is a need. But the students have to get a proper medical certificate sying they can appear for the examination,” said Pathak.

Even during practical exams, said Pathak, if an examinee is unwell, a separate schedule will be made for him/her after the student is cured.

MUHS will also provide Rs 3 lakh to the family if anyone associated — examinees, teachers or even non-teaching staff on exam duty — succumbs due to Covid-19 during the exam period. The varsity will provide a grant of up to Rs 1 lakh for treatment if such stakeholders contract the infection during this period.

According to Pathak, during the final-year UG health science examination, in March-April 2021, there were five examinees who were allotted separate rooms as they were asymptomatic Covid patients. Similarly, the varsity held separate practical exams for 15 Covid-positive students as they could not appear on the scheduled date.