MUMBAI, February 4: The Mumbai University has withheld the result of a medical student because he wrote his roll number on the wrong side of his answersheet. Shakab Danish, who has won a University gold medal for scoring highest marks in Physiology, has been given a ``result cancelled due to cheating'' remark for his mistake in the biochemistry paper.Shakab, a 19-year-old student of the Grant Medical College and J J Hospital, appeared for his first-year MBBS examination in October 1997. In Section 1 of his Biochemistry examination paper, he wrote his roll number (902) on the right and left corners of the first page of his main answer sheet.
The right corners of answer sheets are cut or blackened before they are sent to the examiner. If the roll number is written elsewhere, it amounts to revealing the student's identity to the examiner. Danish's action is thus in contravention of the special instructions printed on page two of the answerbooks.
According to a show-cause notice issued to Danish by theController of Examinations, he has to state in writing why action should not be taken against him as envisaged in University Ordinance 220 - to treat his performance in this examination as null and void; to debar him from appearing at any examination conducted by or on behalf of the university for the next five years; to impose a fine not exceeding Rs 300.
Danish appeared before the `Unfair Means Committee' of the university on January 27. According to Danish, the three-member committee asked him to `admit' his guilt in writing. ``I was shown my biochemistry paper. I verified that I had written the roll number on the left side. But this could only have happened due to tension. I had absolutely no intention of revealing my identity to the examiner or indulge in unfair practice,'' he says.
In the same examination (conducted in October 1997), Danish had scored 210 marks out of 300 in anatomy. The biochemistry paper is divided into three parts of 40, 40 and 20 marks each. Danish scored 33 out of 40 insection 1 and 17 out of 20 in the internal assessment. That gives him 50 out of 60. Even if he is given a 0 in Section 2, where the problem arose, he could still manage to pass.
``Unless a decision is taken immediately, I stand to lose the gold medal. I am already missing the MBBS classes which commenced in the third week of January,'' says Danish. Danish has written a letter to the university vice-chancellor stating these facts.
The heads of department of anatomy, physiology and biochemistry from J J Hospital, Dr Rangare, Dr M Kesri and Dr N Gandhi respectively, have given bonafide character certificates to Danish listing his academic achievements during the past year. ``I tried to show these letters to the `Unfair Means Committee', but they refused to see them,'' says Danish. University Management Council member Dr Anil Kumar told Express Newsline that a representation highlighting Danish's case will be made to the vice-chancellor.
Incidentally, Danish is suffering from marked Bradycardia(slowing of the heart rate). Danish's heart rate drops sometime as low as 30 per minute. The normal heart rate is 60-100 per minute. Danish has been admitted in the J J Hospital since the past 13 days and is awaiting a pacemaker implant.
...while another gets eight chances
If Shakab Danish is the one extreme in the University's examination system, Devang Girish Sanghvi, a third MBBS student, is the other. Devang has failed to clear his surgery and medicine papers in eight consecutive attempts. A fact-finding committee set up to look into the unusual case after he flunked the seventh time, had recommended that he be allowed to read out his answers to the examiners, for it was the illegible hand-writing that was the root-cause of all the problems. But before the committee's recommendations could be translated into action, Devang failed again in the October 1997 examination rendering the report invalid.
The three-member committee, appointed by the vice-chancellor, comprised the Dean of MedicalFaculty, Dr Shyamrao Deshmukh, Dr Lalita Naik and Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe. Sources said the committee was appointed following correspondence from Devang's doctor father and the recommendation of some influential politicians.
In his complaint to the University, Devang had stated that his failure was a result of willful victimization by the examiners, corrupt examiners and a faulty examination system.
After Loksatta reported the case, the vice-chancellor had asked Devang to appear for yet another attempt in October 1997. The October 1997 results revealed that he had also failed in the practical and viva examination with 102 marks out of 300 in medicine and 88 out of 200 in surgery. Following this, the VC ordered that the committee and its report be shelved.
Devang's reading out answers, already marked by the examiners, would have amounted to re-evaluation.
According to University rules, students who have failed in only one subject are eligible for this. Sanghvi has failed in at least two subjectsall along.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
