A bizarre case at a government medical college in Uttar Pradesh has exposed a significant loophole in medical education regulations. An undergraduate student admitted to the MBBS program over a decade ago remains technically enrolled in the first year, leaving the institution helpless and prompting it to seek intervention from the country's top medical body.
A Decade-Long Stalemate in Medical Education
The incident revolves around a student of the 2014 batch at Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in Gorakhpur. According to college authorities, the student failed the first-year MBBS examination in 2015. What followed was an unprecedented situation: for the past 11 years, the student has neither filled out an examination form nor attempted to clear the paper again.
Despite this complete absence from academic progression, the student's enrolment has not lapsed. This is due to a provision in the current medical education rules that allows a student who fails the first year to reappear by simply filling the exam form whenever they wish, without needing fresh admission. This rule, designed for flexibility, has created an impasse where the college cannot cancel the admission as long as the student remains enrolled on paper.
Hostel Stay and Unpaid Dues Complicate Matters
The situation is further tangled by the student's continued residence. Officials stated that the student has been living in the undergraduate hostel since 2014. Typically, mess fees are collected along with the examination form. Since the student has not filled the form for years, he has not paid these charges but continues to use the boarding and lodging facilities.
The college administration finds itself in a bind. The active enrolment status makes it difficult to evict him from the hostel, even though he is not attending classes or participating in any academic activities. Repeated counselling sessions with the student yielded no results. The college then contacted his father, requesting him to visit the campus on three separate occasions. However, the father has not complied and has shown little concern, officials added.
Appeal to the National Medical Commission for Resolution
With no clear mechanism under existing rules to resolve such an extraordinary case, the college has formally sought guidance from the National Medical Commission (NMC). The principal of BRD Medical College, Dr. Ramkumar Jaiswal, told PTI that a final decision will be taken only after receiving clear directions from the apex regulatory body.
This case highlights how well-intentioned regulatory provisions can sometimes leave educational institutions without a clear course of action when a student completely disengages from the academic process. It underscores the need for frameworks that balance student flexibility with institutional ability to manage prolonged non-participation.
