Stuck with grace marks

Herein lies the conundrum. A statement to the press on February 26, when the Board of Examinations BoE met to ratify Dr Deshmukh8217;s decision onthe grace marks, said: 8220;The vice-chancellor had to take this urgent action as the students would have been the sufferers if there was any delay, thereby resulting in further delay in the declaration of the modified results, as the internship of the students who had passed had started on 13th January, 1999.8221;

However, with the legality of the marks still in question and the chancellor maintaining a studied silence, the revised marksheets are yet to be issued. Consequently, the provisional admission for internship given to the 64 students is technically null and void as none of them has approached the Maharashtra Medical Council for registration which is a mandatory precondition. Though the students had started their year-long internship on January 13, they could not register with the MMC as the university has not yet issued their passing certificates.

Of course, the remaining students whose marks had also been enhanced, had no such problem as they had already cleared the MBBS course when the results werefirst declared on January 12. 8220;The application forms of the 64 students have not come to us yet,8221; the MMC registrar confirmed to Express Newsline.

A delegation of students, who are growing increasingly worried due to the delay in resolving the controversy, met Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Naresh Chandra on Monday to ask for their marksheets. Dr Chandra claimed the students need not fear as their marksheets will be dispatched in a couple of days. 8220;The gazette detailing the revised results has already been sent to colleges, and the individual marksheets will be sent shortly,8221; he told Express Newsline.

As far a re-examination is concerned, if a decision on withholding the grace marks is taken after April 12 which is when the re-exam is scheduled, all 64 students could lose an entire academic year as the next re-exam is only in October. Alternatively, if a decision to withhold the marks is taken even on the eve of the exam, the students could take the re-exam even though the last date forapplication forms passed in January. Ironically again, this is also a concession that is the prerogative of the vice-chancellor. The Maharashtra Universities Act, 1994, empowers the vice-chancellor to consider genuine8217; cases even if examination forms were not submitted on time.

Says an examiner in the medical faculty: 8220;If the marks are withdrawn after April 12, and the 64 students are declared as failed, it could become a question of law then.8221;

How events unfolded

January 12: Final year MBBS results are declared.

January 13: Internship begins.

After January 12: Representations from deans of medical colleges on difficulty of PSM paper.

January 21: Paper-setters and examiners meet to discuss grace marks.

January 22: BoE clears decision to award eight grace marks.

January 25: University issues circular on amended results.