MMC panel to probe MBBS marks scam

“The committee has been set up in accordance with the provisions of the MMC Act, 1965. It has been directed to submit its report within 10 days,” MMC president Arvind Sangamnerkar told The Indian Express.

Deepak Palande and H V Sawant are the other members of the committee. While Dagaonkar is vice-president of the MMC, both Palande and Sawant are members of the MMC and Professors of Neurosurgery at the Grant Medical College and Nair Medical College, respectively. Sangamnerkar, a veteran gynaecologist, said under rule 27, the MMC is fullyempowered to call for information on examination leading to the award of medical or surgical qualifications.“It was unfortunate that the prestigious university in the country chose such an irregular path to oblige the students. Certainly, it was an error on the part of the university to grant grace marks to the failed students, who were unable to attempt the Preventive and Social Medicine paper at the final MBBS examination. It will set a bad precedent,” Sangamnerkar pointed out. Sangamnerkar said under the Act, it is the responsibility of the Maharashtra Medical Council to monitor the standard of medical education and also take all possible steps to curb irregularities.

“Apparently, the gesture shown by the Vice-Chancellor is in blatant violation of the laid down norms on modification of results. Under the existing rules, there is no provision of modifying the results once the final results are declared. Result can be modified only if there are change in marks after re-valuation, but not the manner inwhich the Mumbai University granted eight grace marks,” he added.

On the terms of reference of the Dagaonkar Committee, Sangamnerkar said it has been asked to submit the report on — Whether the increase in marks after declaration of final results is within the powers of the Mumbai University, whether the University is empowered to grant grace marks on the basis of a representation made by a section of the students and whether the question paper of Preventive and Social Medicine was really difficult as stated in the University circular of January 25.

Secondly, Sangamnerkar said the committee will also inspect all the documents — question papers and answer sheets of the final MBBS examination and will also carry out sample checking of results of a section of students.“The committee has been permitted to take assistance from medical experts if necessary. It has been directed to look into all aspects of the final MBBS examination and report on irregularities observed during the course of inquiry,” headded.

In a related development, the meeting of the faculty of medicine, convened by its dean S N Deshmukh, who is husband of Snehalata Deshmukh, turned out be stormy when it discussed the row over the grace marks granted to 64 unsuccessful students to enable them to pass the examination.

Apparently, Deshmukh made an attempt to obtain a letter from the faculty members to the effect that Snehalata Deshmukh was innocent and that she was empowered to take such a decision in the interest of students. Deshmukh read out the letter addressed to Chancellor and Governor P C Alexander, but none agreed to his proposal, according to a faculty member.

Meanwhile, at least six professors of Preventive and Social Medicine attached to the Government as well as private medical college remarked that the argument advanced by Deshmukh that grace marks were awarded to the students since they were unable to attempt the question paper as improper. “According to us, it was just a routine paper. We feel that the decision wastaken to oblige a section of students,” they alleged on the condition of anonymity.