The National Board of Examinations of Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has denied the allegations that the screening test for doctors from abroad, conducted in December, had “12 incorrect or misspelled questions”, News18.com has learnt.
A group of foreign medical students had sent a legal notice to the board, claiming errors in the paper. MBBS doctors are not allowed to practise in India unless they clear the screening exam — Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE). The pass percentage of FMGE stood at 24% last year.
The exam is in the spotlight due to medical students returning from war-torn Ukraine, amid questions over the quality of foreign medical education.
News18.com had reported that the legal notice stated: “As per the observation of candidates/doctors (who) appeared in 12 December 2021 FMG examination, there were several wrong/error/misspelled questions framed.”
In reply to the notice, the apex body, denied the allegations, adding the authority had already credited two points before the announcement of results.
“In view of the above, it is ex-facie apparent that your clients have made false allegations by way of the present legal notice which is not only incorrect but also contrary to the records,” said the reply, dated March 9, accessed by News18.com.
The reply further warned candidates to withdraw the notice and to not proceed further.
“…requested to call upon your clients to immediately withdraw the said legal notice. Needless to state, any misconceived proceeding that your client may be ill-advised to initiate will be defended at your client’s risk and cost.”
THE REPLY
The reply, sent by Supreme Court’s advocate Kirtiman Singh on behalf of NBE’s president Abhijat Sheth and joint director Dinesh Chand, stated that the process of designing the screening exam is scientific and every question is reviewed by the subject expert. It states that 21 faculty members were involved in the review of the latest question paper.
“It is stated that during the review of the question paper, no technically incorrect question was found. However, there were two questions wherein more than one option were found to be correct. In these two questions, the NBEMS has awarded full marks to all the candidates who had selected either of the correct options. The allegation therefore in your legal notice dated 19.01.2022 that there were several errors, technically wrong / misspelt questions is completely incorrect and contrary to the records. It is once again reiterated that during the review, no question was found technically incorrect.”
‘WHY WERE MARKS CREDITED SILENTLY?’
According to Indian Foreign Medical Students Welfare MCI Gurukul Trust, the lobby representing more than one lakh doctors who studied abroad, the government’s reply is vague and the process is highly opaque as marks were awarded silently without issuing any public notice.
“The process is highly opaque. Apart from incorrect questions, the students had highlighted five questions with multiple correct answers. Now, the reply says the NBE has already credited two marks for such answers,” Neeraj Chaurasiya, founding member of the trust said.
“NBE never issued a public notice for the marks credited. If they had done so, they should have issued a formal public announcement, which is a norm. They credited marks silently and never announced it publicly. And now, they informed the candidates in reply to the legal notice.”
Read all the Latest News India and Breaking News here
Comments
0 comment