Special MBBS exams likely for 27 Kuki-Zo students

GUWAHATI: The Manipur government is considering conducting “special exams” for displaced medical students from the Kuki-Zo community, who have been barred from appearing in their MBBS examinations in Churachandpur Medical College (CMC).

The future of 27 first-year Kuki-Zo MBBS students, who fled medical colleges of Imphal, is in jeopardy as they were not allowed to sit for their first-year examination in CMC, which commenced this week.

Manipur health minister Sapam Ranjan Singh said acting upon the advice of National Medical Commission (NMC), special examinations can be conducted.

In CMC, the only medical college in the hill districts of Manipur, there are a total of 33 Phase-I (first year) MBBS students from Kuki-Zo community (27 displaced from Imphal medical colleges and six enrolled in CMC since the beginning). Together, they have been continuing their classes in CMC in the aftermath of the ethnic clashes. In the ongoing MBBS first-year university exam, only the six students, who were originally enrolled in CMC, got admit cards and could appear for it. Question papers were sent only for those six students, while the remaining 27 staged a protest on the first day of exam on Tuesday.

“Manipur University needs concrete advice from the NMC. It has sought suggestions from NMC, a reply to which is yet to come,” Singh said. He said attendance and internal assessment also have a big role to play and ways are being explored for certain relaxations for the displaced students. The four medical colleges of Manipur, including CMC, are affiliated to Manipur University.

“The university had a meeting with all the colleges and stakeholders. They have sought advice (suggestion) from NMC on a few points. Because three of these medical colleges would also be having their second-year exam in December, when a decision is taken, it has to be a holistic approach. NMC has been urged to consider whether the exams for MBBS second and third-year students can also be taken at different places,” said Singh.

The aggrieved students alleged that at the last minute, on November 13, they were debarred from taking the BDS exam, while on November 18, the MBBS students were informed that admit cards and exam materials were sent only for six MBBS students enrolled in CMC since inception of their course.

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