MGR Medical University told to postpone PG diploma exams

CHENNAI: Citing inadequate time for the students to prepare for the exams, the Madras High Court restrained Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University from conducting postgraduate diploma examinations scheduled to begin on December 9.

Justice Battu Devanand set aside the notification issued for the examinations and directed the university to conduct the exams in the last week of December or the first week of January 2025, while allowing the plea moved by the students of the university, challenging the notification.

A total of 85 students pursuing postgraduate (doctor of medicine/ master of science) at the respondent university moved the petition seeking to postpone the scheduled examinations.

The counsel for the students submitted that the university had decided to conduct the examinations without providing a sufficient gap between the thesis submission and the theory exams.

It was contended that the students submitted their thesis on November 29 and they were instructed to submit their dissertation to the thesis to get approval from the externals. This process would take a week to complete according to the students.

The counsel further said the university’s decision to schedule the theory exams on December 9 within 10 days of thesis submission has caused anxiety and stress among students. However, the university objected to the contentions of the students and submitted that sufficient time was granted to prepare for the exams.

Contending that six months were provided for thesis submission and the schedule for theory examinations was announced earlier in August, the university said the grounds for postponing the examinations were unreasonable and would cause serious inconvenience to other students.

However, the judge stated some facts prove the petitioners were under stress due to insufficient time to prepare for the exams, and directed the university to postpone the exams in accordance with the time frame fixed by the National Medical Commission.