Punjab University Special MBBS Exams
LAHORE, Oct 3: The special supplementary examination of MBBS first professional Part-I of 2012 being held by the Punjab University has run into controversy after the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) administrator says the examination will be illegal.
The Punjab University Syndicate approved holding of the examination on September 5 through circulation to facilitate candidates of two colleges without explaining any hardship or grievance.
A member of the Syndicate told Dawn he had objected to the move, saying the matter seemed very serious and required thorough deliberation in the Syndicate rather getting consent of the members by circulation. He said he had asked the Syndicate chairman to place the matter on the regular agenda of the statutory body’s meeting. However, the decision was notified on September 5.The PU has notified a date-sheet: the special supplementary examination will begin from October 22.
PMDC Administrator Dr Raja Amjad Mahmood said the examination would be illegal as the Punjab University had not consulted the council about the issue.
Till to date, only one special supplementary examination has been conducted for the daughter of the then martial law administrator, Gen Ziaul Haq, in 1983,” said Dr Mahmood, who is also PMDC Registrar.
This time, the examination is being held to facilitate 41 candidates from the Fatima Jinnah Medical College (FMJC), Lahore, the Shaikh Khalifa Zayed Al-Nahyan Medical and Dental College, Lahore.
Earlier, 33 candidates from the FJMC and 34 from the Shaikh Khalifa College had failed in the MBBS first professional Part-I annual examination. Later, 74 candidates from both colleges appeared for the supplementary examination out of who 41 candidates failed again.
PU Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry dean Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal says the Board of Studies recommended the examination because 80 per cent of the candidates had failed with less than five marks in anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. He said the case was initiated by the professors of the FJMC and the Sheikh Khalifa College. As in other examinations there was a provision of five grace marks, he said, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had banned grace marks in medical examinations.
Prof Iqbal says the PMDC was concerned only with the number of attempts a candidate takes.
He says the special supplementary examination has been delayed and now being organised along with the MBBS first professional Part-I annual examination for 2013 from October 22.
In order to initiate the special supplementary examination, PU Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry dean Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal organised a meeting of Board of Studies (BoS) in Medicine and Dentistry on August 20 and reported that the board discussed various aspects of conditions of the examination and decided “to recommend and forward the case of holding special supplementary examination of MBBS first professional Part-I to the up coming meeting of the PU Syndicate for final approval”.
Prof Iqbal, who is also chairman and dean of the Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, later issued a corrigendum on August 30 presenting an amended decision of the BoS that added “The applications of the students were duly recommended by the respective principals of the medical colleges. It was recommended that all those students, who have not exhausted the attempt chances be allowed to appear in the said examination”.
Very next day, the PU circulated the BoS’ amended decision among Syndicate members for their approval. The PU on September 5 notified that the Syndicate members approved the BoS’ recommendation the special supplementary MBBS Part-I examination.
Sources close to the developments said the immediate approval for holding of special supplementary examination smelled rat because the BoS did not state any hardship or grievance to justify the special examination.
Sources also claimed that the candidates did not fail in one particular subject but in respective three subjects – anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. If there was any hardship or grievance, the source said, those passed the supplementary examination should also be allowed to appear in the special supplementary examination – to improve their marks.
Sources also claimed that the case was neither taken to varsity’s Academic Council nor the vice-chancellor approved it on behalf of the Academic Council using his emergency powers.
When contacted, PU Controller of Examinations Prof Dr Liaquat Ali said the university had followed proper procedures. Regarding by-passing of the PU Academic Council, the controller of examinations said the case had been approved by the Syndicate.Dawn.
