MBBS students hold stir, seek relaxation in attendance norms

Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Jhajjar, December 4

Protesting MBBS students of third year of the World College of Medical Science and Research here will probably not be able to take the annual examination, as they have not fulfilled the mandatory condition of securing at least 75 per cent attendance.

The students have been agitating for the past over three months, demanding shifting of their batch to other college. They allege that their college has neither the adequate number of doctors to teach them nor do they have patients in its hospital.

The state government has already announced that their demand would be met, but the students have now asked for a special relaxation in the attendance norms. They hope to shift to other colleges at the earliest so that they can appear in the exams with preparation.

“We are grateful to Chief Minister Manohar Lal and Health Minister Anil Vij for promising to accommodate us in other medical colleges, but a written order is yet to be issued in this respect. Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences has released the datesheet for our annual exams, which are scheduled to commence from December 21,” said one of the protesting students.

She said, “We have not attended a single lecture during the past three months. Therefore, the government while keeping in view of our future, should not only deliver its promise at the earliest, but also save our one-year by giving us special relaxation in the attendance norms.”

“Our delegation called on Health Minister in Ambala last week who promised us again for protecting our one-year by making some special arrangement. However, many students are apprehensive, as the exams are approaching and no order in black and white has been issued by the government so far,” she said.

Dr Shamsher Singh Lohchab, Dean (Academic Affair) of the health university, told ‘The Tribune’ that it was clear in the rules that no student would be allowed to appear in the exams without having enlisting at least 75 per cent attendance.

“Earlier, there was a provision of extending 5 per cent as grace marks to the students, but the provision has now been withdrawn. We had apprised the protesting MBBS students of the attendance norms, when a delegation of officials met them in Jhajjar to listen to their grievances,” said Lohchab.