The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) has postponed the MBBS examinations of second, third and fourth year in the state by over two months.
The MBBS exams were scheduled to be held in the month of January 2021, but following the directions from the National Medical Commission (NMC) and also demand from students, the university has postponed the exams.
Speaking to DH, Dr S Sachidananda, vice-chancellor of the university, said that while the first year examinations will be held in February as scheduled, the second, third and fourth year examinations, scheduled in January, will be held in March and April.
“This was done as per the orders by the National Medical Commission,” he said.
The students had demanded the postponement of exams. Medical and dental colleges are set to reopen in the state on December 1. As the students will get less time for practical classes and hands-on experience in the medical colleges, the postponement was seen as necessary.
A survey, conducted by All-India Democratic Students Organisation Medical Students’ Struggle Committee which reached around 9,500 MBBS students in Karnataka, showed that 97.6% of the respondents were not ready to appear for the examination in January.
The absence of offline classes, it was opined, will make it difficult for students to face the exams.
RGUHS officials had told DH that they had planned examination in January to save academic days.
“We had announced the time table to conduct exams in the month of January to save some academic days, at least a month, for the next academic year,” said a senior official. It is yet to be seen how the first year MBBS students will respond to the university’s decision to go ahead with the examination in January.
Published 28 November 2020, 19:36 IST