Referring to the instances of malpractice in examinations, the Bombay High Court recently denied relief to a Latur doctor who was not allowed to appear for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Super Speciality (NEET-SS) 2023 examination without the Medical Registration Certificate.
The petitioner, Dr. Shyamsundar Patil, a 49-year-old doctor who was refused entry for lack of the Medical Registration Certificate, filed the plea and sought directions from the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to conduct his examination. He also urged the Court to hold NBE from publishing the NEET-SS examination results until the final disposal of the case.
Dr. Patil was not allowed to enter the examination center in Hyderabad in September 2023 because he did not have a physical copy of his permanent registration certificate issued by the Medical Council. Dr. Patil claimed that he had a copy of the same on his phone, but subsequently, because mobile phones are forbidden in the examination center, he was not permitted to enter.
As per the October 31 judgment, a division bench comprising Justices RV Ghuge and YG Khobragade dismissed the plea filed by Dr. Shyamsundar Patil. The bench said the authorities cannot be criticized. The court said that because of technological advancement and development, there are examples when students have referred to various methods and tactics of manufacturing admit cards, identity cards, hacking websites, and carrying airpods or electronic earbuds in the examination hall in order to utilize malpractices in the examinations. Drawing a comparison to 'Munnabhai MBBS', the court expressed worry about several candidates resorting to such unethical practices. There are examples when the results of the NEET-UG and PG exams are hacked by hackers, results are manufactured, and higher scores in the examination results are published on such fictitious websites," the court said.
The examination authority has been continuously informing the candidates as to what documents they should be carrying along with them to the examination hall and which electronic instruments and gadgets are not to be carried to the hall. The purpose of this procedure is to check that the examination is conducted in a fair manner and that a proxy candidate or a candidate utilizing unfair means does not participate in the examination.
The bench mentioned that Dr. Patil had not carried a copy of his registration certificate and had depended on showing it on his mobile phone at the examination center; hence, laches cannot be attributed to the authorities.
(Rehash/KOMAL BHOI)