Medical students foot bill for examiners’ stay?

Medical students foot bill for examiners’ stay?

Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University vice-chancellor Dr Sudha Seshayyan told Express she hasn’t yet received official directions from the government to conduct an inquiry.

Published: 12th June 2021 05:13 AM |

By Sinduja Jane

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Final-year MBBS students at the Government Stanley Medical College allegedly had to pool in money for their external examiners’ “accommodation and food” during the April-May 2021 exams. The Directorate of Medical Education is now going to launch an inquiry, after the father of a student who failed in one subject brought the matter to light.

The girl’s father complained to the college management, saying his daughter had failed as she didn’t pay the money. The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, meanwhile, has temporarily suspended the examiners in question from the Panel of Examiners.

Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University vice-chancellor Dr Sudha Seshayyan told Express she hasn’t yet received official directions from the government to conduct an inquiry. “The college conducted an inquiry and submitted a report to us. Since the father alleged money was collected for the exam, the university has taken a call, saying we are not asking anyone to collect money during university exams.”

After the college management received the complaint on May 16, it formed an internal inquiry committee, said committee member Dr S Jaswanth. “In the first inquiry, it was found that the students didn’t receive instructions from any examiners, but collected money themselves after circulating messages on WhatsApp. This student failed as she didn’t perform well. Of the 246 students, 23 didn’t pay the money, but all the rest passed. So the complainant’s allegations are not true.” Another official of the college said a second inquiry will be conducted.

The report on the first inquiry was submitted to the university, and a copy sent to the Directorate of Medical Education. Dr R Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education, said he received the letter on Thursday, and an inquiry will be launched, in which all students and faculty members will be questioned.

Meanwhile, in her report to the Health Secretary, Dr Sudha Seshayyan said, “Screenshots of messages enclosed by the parent of the said candidate indicate that such collection is regularly being made ‘to show gratefulness to departments’ and to arrange accommodation and food for the external examiners.” The report added that due to the pandemic, exams were conducted online, so the question of accommodation in Chennai for external examiners would not have arisen.

Pending clearance from the Examination Disciplinary Committee, the names of the internal examiners, from the departments of Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Paediatrics, have been temporarily removed from the university’s Panel of Examiners, the report said.

The university’s inquiry report says the complainant obtained 193/300 marks in General Surgery, 127/200 in Gynaecology and 60/100 in Paediatrics, but failed in the General Medicine clinical exam. Final-year MBBS students in other medical colleges in the city said such collection of money is a regular practice. “Once, the external examiner asked for a mobile phone, so the students collected money and provided the phone. We are afraid because the examiners can fail us,” said a student.