Varsity defends VC8217;s grace to students

FEBRUARY 26: At a hurriedly-convened meeting the Board of Examinations BoE today upheld Vice-Chancellor Dr Snehalata Deshmukh's decisio...

FEBRUARY 26: At a hurriedly-convened meeting the Board of Examinations BoE today upheld Vice-Chancellor Dr Snehalata Deshmukh8217;s decision to grant eight grace marks to all final-year MBBS students in the Preventive and Social Medicine PSM paper. The university is also seeking legal advice whether the Maharashtra Medical Council MMC is empowered to conduct an inquiry into vice-chancellor8217;s decisions, said Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Naresh Chandra, who was present at the meeting.

MMC, which was asked by Health Minister Dr Daulatrao Aher to look into the matter, had said that neither University of Mumbai nor the vice-chancellor were empowered to tamper with declared results and had suggested fresh assessment of all theory papers.

Dr Deshmukh, who chaired the meeting today, said she had received representations from deans of eight of the nine medical colleges, saying that short note questions in the PSM paper were out of the syllabus. These representations were received after the results were declared onJanuary 12, she added.

The board meeting also attempted to show that the decision to award eight marks was not the Vice-Chancellor8217;s alone. 8220;In order to examine the truth in the complaints, the Vice-Chancellor convened a meeting of paper-setters and examiners on January 21, in her capacity as the chairperson of the BoE. The recommendations made at the meet were placed before the Board on January 22, which accepted the same,8221; said a press note issued by the university.

The VC exercised this urgent option as otherwise the students, who had to appear for internship on January 13, would have to suffer, it was stated.

Besides, eight grace marks were not given to all students. Students who were beneficiaries od six grace marks before the results were declared, were given only two more marks. quot;so, it is not correct to say the Vice-Chancellor gave eight marks to all final-year MBBS students,quot; the release, added. Meanwhile, the university8217;s registrar A V Pradhan has sent a letter to the MMS today, seeking toknow why summons were issued again to the Controller of Examinations when the university had explained that MMC had no powers to do so.