Asks IoM to decide the matter
KATHMANDU, Nov 17: Tribhuvan University (TU) has asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to decide the row over the controversial MBBS entrance exams on its own. In a meeting on Thursday, TU authorities who were being criticized for their inability to take action against anyone in the row over the entrance exams conducted by the IOM even after a month, decided to direct the latter to decide the issue.
TU 'unable' to settle MBBS entrance exam row
TU's failure to decide the entrance exam row affected aspiring MBBS students badly to get admission in the medical colleges under IOM. IOM had conducted the entrance exams on October 14 for enrolling students in MBBS in the academic session that begins from November 17. Nearly 9,000 students applied for the entrance tests, which were conducted at 17 centers including 13 in the Kathmandu Valley.
TU authorities, however, could not publish the entrance test results or the schedule for a re-test. “TU executive council meeting held today decided that IOM will take the necessary decision on the row,” said Dr Sudha Tripathi, Rector of TU. “We also dispatched a letter today to IOM, directing it to decide the entrance exam row as per TU Regulations 2016, which allows IoM TO publish entrance date, take exams, publish results or cancel or reschedule the exams or take other necessary action,” she added.
“We have not received the letter from TU regarding today's decision,” said Prof Dr JP Agrawal, Dean at IOM. “We may get it tomorrow. Only then will the IOM Council hold meetings to go ahead as per the procedure,” he added. “It will take about a week to take a decision on the row. The Council may cancel the controversial entrance test and announce a fresh one.”
IOM Dean Office on October 17 suspended the results of the controversial entrance exams where many students were reported to have cheated by using mobile phones and other electronic devices. Police arrested about three dozen, suspecting their involvement in cheating in the entrance test. IOM also canceled the entrance exams of eight students who had sent others to sit for the exams in their place by changing photographs on their admit cards.
Police filed a case against 17 persons at the Kathmandu District Court on Wednesday for their alleged involvement in the 'mass cheating.'
