Four attempts for MBBS cover supplementary exams: court

Four attempts for MBBS cover supplementary exams: court

The Hindu Bureau

KOCHI. 31.08.2026

Both regular and supplementary examinations count towards the “four attempts within four years” rule for clearing the First Professional MBBS Degree examination, the Kerala High Court recently held.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas found that a candidate could avail of only four attempts, whether regular or supplementary exams, and no further opportunity could be granted once those attempts had been exhausted. This was evident from the Graduate Medical Education Regulation, 2023, and the guidelines prescribed by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the court stated.

The court said regulations framed by academic bodies should not be subjected to casual judicial interference, especially when the issue concerned medical students, whose competence affects public health and safety.

The petitioner, a first-year medical student from Kollam, contended that the four attempts prescribed in the rules must be interpreted as regular exams and should not include supplementary exams. She had not cleared the course, having failed in three subjects and used up all four attempts.

She had sought directions to write the next First Professional MBBS Degree examination, either as a mercy chance or as a chance available to her within the four years.

The State government, Kerala University of Health Sciences, UGC, and NMC opposed granting any leniency based on the regulations.

Petitioner in Kerala had contended that the four attempts prescribed in rules must be interpreted as regular exams

NEWS TODAY 30.08.2026

HC urges cash limit for govt servants

HC urges cash limit for govt servants 

K.Kaushik@timesofindia.com 30.08.2026

Madurai: Madras high court has sought a response from the state on the feasibility of issuing uniform guidelines or a GO prescribing the limit of cash that may be possessed by a govt servant while on duty. 

Justice B Pugalendhi observed that when almost every payment can be made digitally, the necessity of carrying substantial amounts of cash to office needs to be addressed by govt by fixing a threshold limit. If such a condition is prescribed, it may, to some extent, curb corruption in govt offices. 

“The existence of a prescribed limit would also ensure that govt servants are not unnecessarily harassed,” the judge observed. The court was hearing the petition filed by C Kala challenging the order referring her to the tribunal for disciplinary proceedings that she was in possession of 45,000 on Jan 8, 2021, when she was on duty as sub-registrar at Mukkudal in Tirunelveli district. 

The petitioner also filed another petition seeking a direction to transfer the proceedings to the tribunal for disciplinary proceedings, Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district. The petitioner’s counsel submitted that Kala had the money for marriage expenses

NEWS TODAY 28.08.2026

Nepal missing tally rises to 2,482, including 320 Indians

Nepal missing tally rises to 2,482, including 320 Indians 

FULL COVERAGE | P 6, 13, 18 84 

Rescued, 21 Indians Brought Back, Says MEA 

Vishant.Agarwala @timesofindia.com 29.08.2026

New Delhi: At least 584 people were dead and 2,482 missing across Nepal and Tibet by Friday evening after the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli disaster, with Nepal accounting for 579 deaths and 1,924 missing and Tibet reporting five dead and 558 missing. The scale remained fluid, as Nepal Police maintained a higher tally of those unaccounted for; tunnel searches continued and large numbers of people remained cut off or out of communication. 

Rescue teams on both sides of the border were repeatedly forced to reassess and retreat Friday as an unstable barrier lake overflowed into Bhote Koshi river, sent a fresh surge downstream and briefly halting operations. Hours later, another avalanche dumped an estimated 50,000 cubic metres of ice debris. Satellite images later showed an even more worrying development — a second, larger upstream lake was still growing and had no visible outlet. 

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 320 Indian nationals in Nepal remained “uncontactable” on Friday, up from 290 earlier, while around 100 persons of Indian origin holding other nationalities were also out of contact. Jaiswal said it was a “dynamic situation”. India had not confirmed any deaths by Friday evening. MEA said it was seeking clarity from Nepalese authorities. MEA said at least 84 nationals had been rescued in Nepal — 63 workers from Trishuli-1 and 21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu. The group of 21 reached Delhi on Friday. “First, good news: 21 Indian nationals who had yesterday arrived in Kathmandu from the area which was affected by the flood have landed in Delhi,” Jaiswal said.

NEWS TODAY 27.08.2026