Parents' and students' association appeals for justice to medical students

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Medical Students’ and Parents’ Association (APMSPA) has demanded the Centre and the National Medical Commission (NMC) to promote 2019 batch of medical students to the second year and give them a chance to clear their backlog. As the second year classes have begun, the APMSPA will approach the High Court for justice in this connection. Senior advocate Y Venkata Ravi Prasad has taken up the students’ case. Though about 450 medical students in the State passed with marginal marks, however, they weren’t promoted to second year. 

Addressing media persons here on Saturday, convener T Srinivas Viswanath said the State government and NTR University officials should take the initiative as classes have already started for the second year. The affected medical students and parents approached NTR University Registrar K Shankar and Vice-Chancellor Dr Shamprasad to explain their problem. 

Viswanath explained that the matter was also taken to the notice of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The Chief Minister reacted positively and asked the NTR University and the NMC to do the needful. A delegation of parents’ association from Andhra Pradesh went to New Delhi and met NMC president Aruna Vanikar and Board adviser Saxena. They explained to him about the loss being suffered by the students. 

It was the NTR University and other medical college managements, which did not educate the students about the new exam evaluation approach, based on Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME), and gave the question paper with multiple choices in CBME. “We explained to the NMC that many students suffered from corona and couldn’t attend the exams. Though the commission responded positively, I know getting justice for the students is a long drawn out process and hence the decision to approach the HC,” Viswanath said.