DIBRUGARH, April 5 - Rampant corruption has been suspected in the conduct of the Post Graduate Medical Entrance Examination by Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences following discovery of huge anomalies in the answer keys of some 20 questions of the examination paper.
Although results were declared after re-evaluation of answer scripts for the second time on March 3, 2016, the authorities concerned have refrained from disclosing the answer keys to all the questions. The results of the examination held on January 31, 2016 were first declared on February 4. Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences was reportedly compelled to revise the results after irregularities were pointed out to them by a few students who had sought copies of their answer scripts and the answer keys through Right to Information Act (RTI).
Dr Gitartha Baruah, son of Dr Amrit Kumar Baruah, former Joint Director of Health Services and Family Welfare, Dibrugarh, through an RTI found that around 20 answer keys had wrong answers. In some questions, two or more options were correct but as per the answer key provided by the University only one option was shown correct, he said.
�On complaining, the University without any prior information declared a revised result on March 31, 2016. But the question is that the authorities have not disclosed the answer keys of the revised list and have not told the students which questions were wrong despite admitting faults. There is no transparency at all as they have not made all the answer keys public,� he said.
Dr Amrit Kumar Baruah while addressing mediapersons today said that anomalies and failure to make answer keys public like other Universities, have raised doubts on the fair conduct of the exams by Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences. He has also suspected involvement of money in the whole process.
�The University will ruin the lives of several bright students if it is indulging in corrupt practices like accepting bribes or inefficiently managing the examination affairs. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi must intervene and order a probe in the whole process for the justice of the students,� he said.
Dr Gitartha Baruah said that in the entrance exams held by Maharashtra and Kerala, the answer keys are made public. He demanded that for the greater benefit of all medical students, the University must make the answer keys and OMR sheets of students public as many mistakes of the University had been pointed earlier.
It must be mentioned here that Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences is the only Health University in the North Eastern Region with its jurisdiction to the whole of Assam. The University manages its affairs from Gauhati Medical College Building at Narakasur Hill Top, Bhangagarh, Guwahati. Some 24 government medical institutes and 19 private institutes are affiliated to the University. It is learned that the Health University is run by only three medical experts � the Vice Chancellor Professor Umesh Chandra Sarma and two part timers Dr Manoj Kumar Choudhury (Registrar) and Professor AK Das. Professor Manoj Kumar Choudhury and Professor AK Das are reportedly attached with Silchar Medical College, Silchar.
The medical students who have felt cheated by the university have also decided to approach the Court, if the authorities concerned failed to do justice to them.
