A bizarre and unprecedented academic stalemate has gripped the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, where a student admitted to the MBBS program in 2014 remains officially enrolled despite failing to clear his first-year examination for over a decade. The perplexed college administration has now turned to the National Medical Commission (NMC), the apex medical education regulator, seeking clear directives to resolve this unique predicament.
A Decade-Long Academic Freeze
According to officials from the medical college, the student, belonging to the 2014 batch, could not pass the first-year MBBS examination in 2015. For the past 11 years, he has neither filled out an examination form for a re-attempt nor participated in any regular academic activities. Despite this, his student enrolment remains technically active, creating a significant administrative and logistical challenge for the institution.
The core of the issue lies in the existing medical education regulations. The rules state that a student who fails the first-year MBBS exam is not required to seek fresh admission and can reappear simply by submitting the examination form. This provision has inadvertently created a loophole, preventing the college from outright cancelling his admission as his enrolment status persists.
Hostel Residency and Unpaid Dues Complicate Matters
Compounding the problem is the student's continuous residence in the undergraduate hostel since 2014. College authorities explained that mess fees are typically collected along with the examination form. Since the student has not filled the form for years, he has not paid any mess charges, yet he continues to avail free boarding and lodging facilities.
The college's active attempts to resolve the situation have hit dead ends. Officials conducted repeated counselling sessions with the student, which yielded no results. The administration then contacted the student's father. Despite three separate phone calls from the principal's office requesting his presence, the father has not visited the college. Authorities noted that the father has shown little concern regarding his son's academic future.
Seeking a Regulatory Solution
With internal efforts exhausted, the college has formally sought guidance from the NMC. The student's active enrolment status legally complicates any attempt to evict him from the hostel or formally terminate his student tenure. The college is now in a bind, awaiting a regulatory framework to address such an exceptional case.
Dr. Ramkumar Jaiswal, Principal of BRD Medical College, stated that a final decision will be taken only after receiving clear directions from the NMC. This case highlights a rare gap in the medical education system where rules designed to give students a fair chance at reappearing can, in extreme circumstances, lead to an indefinite and unresolved academic and administrative limbo.
The outcome of this appeal to the NMC will set a significant precedent for how medical colleges across India handle similar extraordinary cases of prolonged academic inactivity within the bounds of existing regulations.
