The Rajasthan High Court denied relief to eight MBBS students barred from exams due to low attendance, stressing that medical education requires strict discipline. “A society that allows widespread incompetency cannot thrive,” the Court emphasized.
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JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court rejected the pleas of eight MBBS students who were not allowed to appear for their exams due to insufficient attendance.
Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur highlighted that maintaining high standards in medical education is extremely important because it directly affects the quality of healthcare for the public.
The Court emphasized that medical studies require strict attendance so that students gain the necessary knowledge and practical skills to become competent doctors.
“In the considered opinion of this Court, attendance in the MBBS examination is crucial. If a student has not acquired the requisite attendance in both theory and practicals, it would be detrimental to allow them to proceed with the course, particularly for the second-year examination,”
–the Court stated.
One of the petitioners, a student from Government Medical College, Barmer, explained that he missed classes in his first year due to dengue. As a result, he was not allowed to take his first-year exams or even the supplementary exams. He then approached the Court for relief.
His lawyer pointed out that the 2023 policy included remedial classes to help students cover attendance shortages, but this policy was later discontinued. He argued that the student unfairly lost a year of his studies due to no fault of his own.
It was also mentioned that the 2024 policy still allows for remedial classes, yet the student was denied this option.
Additionally, the Court was informed that in a similar case earlier, another student was permitted to take the first-year MBBS exam along with the second-year exam.
However, the opposing counsel argued that the petitioner had not appeared in the main exams because of low attendance, so he could not be allowed to sit for the supplementary exams either.
The Court was also reminded that MBBS students must have 75% attendance in theory and 80% in practical and clinical sessions to be eligible for university exams.
Regarding the earlier case where a student was granted relief, the Court noted that his attendance shortage was only in one subject, whereas the petitioner had low attendance in all subjects.
After hearing the arguments, the Court underlined the significance of the MBBS degree, as it prepares students for a profession that directly affects human lives.
“In this regard, the Court recognizes the petitioner’s role as a future healthcare provider and acknowledges the responsibility they will have in influencing the well-being of the community,”
–the Bench observed.
The Court also stressed that academic excellence must be upheld, especially in fields like medicine, which have a direct impact on public health.
“A society that allows widespread incompetency cannot thrive, and therefore, educational standards must not be allowed to be degraded to substandard levels,”
–the Court added.
As a result, the Court dismissed the petitions of all eight students.
The petitioners were represented by Advocates Bhavit Sharma and Hukam Singh, while the respondents were represented by Deputy Solicitor General of India Mukesh Rajpurohit, Advocate Aditi Sharma, and Advocates Parbat Singh and Mahendra Vishnoi.
CASE TITLE:
Surendra Bisnoi vs The State of Rajasthan.
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