Vijayawada: In a stringent move against malpractice during annual medical examinations, Dr NTR University of Health Sciences has debarred 15 out of 22 students found copying from appearing in all university examinations for one year. The malpractice committee, formed to investigate incidents and recommend actions, has intensified its probe into the remaining seven students, including three postgraduate, three AYUSH, and one MSc nursing student.
Improved Monitoring and Examination Transparency
University Vice-Chancellor Dr P Chandrasekhar stated, “Stricter monitoring through the university’s command and control centre has improved examination transparency, leading to a drop in failure percentage from 9.06% in 2025 to 13.58% in 2026, while the pass percentage declined from 90.94% to 86.42%.”
Details of Debarred Students
According to university authorities, among the 15 students penalized, six were MBBS students, eight were BDS students, and one was a BPT student. The six MBBS students were caught copying at six examination centres, including five private institutions and one government institute. The eight BDS students and one BPT student were also found copying at various private examination centres across the state.
Penalties on Institutions
Dr Chandrasekhar added, “Institutions where students were found copying have been imposed a fine of ₹50,000 as a first warning. A fine of ₹1 lakh will be imposed as a second warning on institutions involved in malpractice, while examination centres repeatedly found violating norms will be barred from conducting university examinations for three years.”
Ongoing Investigation
The vice-chancellor further mentioned that action will be taken against the remaining seven students after the probe committee submits its report to the university. He said the committee found that the MSc nursing student accused of copying had merely written her name on the hall ticket, which is prohibited. A warning will be issued to the student without further action. However, action will be taken against the remaining postgraduate and AYUSH students based on the committee’s findings.
About the Author: Sri Krishna Kummara, a Senior Digital Content Creator at The Times of India-Vijayawada, covers developments related to VMC, Medical & Health, Transport, Metro, APSRTC, Railway, and Airport stories. He holds a graduate degree in BA with Journalism, Psychology, and Literature as core subjects.
