Despite a high court ruling in their favour, dozens of MBBS students are facing stress and an uncertain academic future due to an alleged delay by their universities in implementation of a new set of relaxed guidelines for academic assessment proposed by the National Medical Commission (NMC).
The students who had got a lifeline from the Madras High Court were largely those who were declared failed under the pre-revised NMC norms. The students had said that since the new norms came into effect from 1 August, and some of their exams were held after this date they should get the benefit of the relaxed assessment criteria.
The NMC vide its notification F. No. U/14021/8/2023-UGMEB dated 1 August and subsequent corrigendum vide F. No. U/14021/8/2023-UGMEB dated 1 September revised the Competency Based Medical Education Curriculum (CBME) Guidelines along with the passing criteria.
The section of medical students whose promotion to the next semester was withheld, in accordance with the old CBME, approached the Pondicherry University to revise their result on the basis of the new relaxed guidelines but were denied any relief. Thereafter, the students approached the high court which offered relief to them.
Students now allege that the matter has come to a standstill as the University is yet to offer them relief, despite the high court’s direction two months ago to do so. The aggrieved medical students, including some from government-run Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, are now complaining that the University has still not revised the results as per new NMC norms.
They claim that the high court order had specifically mentioned that the National Medical Commission had released new Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) guidelines bearing No.U.14021/8/2023-UGMED on 01.08.2023 that revoked the earlier CBME guidelines. Post implementation of the new CBME guidelines, in subjects that have two papers, the student must secure a minimum of 40% in aggregate (both papers together) to pass that subject. Thus the student was to obtain 50% marks in aggregate and 60:40 (minimum) or 40:60 (minimum) in the University conducted theory and practical papers in order to be declared as passed.
The court noted that the guidelines are effective only from 01.08.2023 and hence they would apply to a block of examinations that have commenced thereafter. However, a perusal of the amended guidelines does not make any such distinction, between individual papers and a block of examinations. The CBME guidelines would have only prospective application. Court also noted that there is no quarrel on this aspect of the matter, as undoubtedly even the Frequently Asked Questions issued at the first instance state that the guidelines are applicable on and from the date of application, i.e., from August 1, 2023.
The students claim that the court order clearly indicates that if the exams have ended after August 1, 2023, the NMC’s new guidelines shall apply. “Even after the court order, the Pondicherry University has not revised the result of students on whom the revised guidelines are applicable,” said a student.