Court refuses to stay MBBS examinations

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday refused to stay the second and third professional MBBS exams due to the Covid-19 situation, as demanded by 10 MBBS students in a petition. While the court said the exam would be held on scheduled dates—from July 14 to 21—it clarified that those with valid reasons for their absence could seek an alternative examination.
The MBBS students had pleaded that many of them were outside Bengal and were unable to travel back in the absence of regular train and bus services.
After hearing WBUHS, state government and the aggrieved students, represented by Bikash Bhattacharya and Firdous Shamim, Justice Subrata Talukdar stated, “This court is not persuaded to stop the examinations.” The HC permitted all students who have enrolled for the exams slated for Tuesday to sit for it, including the petitioners. The HC said all candidates, who had enrolled for exams but could not appear due to bona fide reasons for to the pandemic, would have to justify their reasons for their absence before the WBUHS Controller of Examinations. The HC directed the controller to take a decision on a replacement exam for the deserving candidates.
Bhattacharya pleaded the HC had stayed BAMS exams of WBUHS, meant for Ayurvedic final-year students. But Supratik Roy, appearing for WBUHS and Advocate-General Kishore Datta said only 45 of the 650 2nd-year and 13 of 444 3rd-year Part I MBBS students were unwilling.