Vice-Chancellor’s graceful gesture violates norms

MUMBAI, JAN 30: The unprecedented decision of the University of Mumbai, which has awarded eight grace marks to every final year MBBS stud...

MUMBAI, JAN 30: The unprecedented decision of the University of Mumbai, which has awarded eight grace marks to every final year MBBS student, has opened a Pandora’s Box, besides placing a question mark on the credibility of this year’s results.

In a stunning move which redefines the concept of grace marks’, Vice-Chancellor Dr Snehalata Deshmukh has gifted away eight extra marks to every student who took the final year MBBS examination in October last year strangely even to candidates who passed the test.

The grace marks, awarded in the Prevention and Social Medicine paper ostensibly because five short notes’ were difficult, has thus benefited over 1,400 candidates who took the exam. The Vice-Chancellor’s largesse, which was significantly bestowed after the results were declared on January 12, 1999, has prompted academicians and students to term the decision as arbitrary.

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About 40 parents of students who took the exam will now meet on Monday to demand that grace marks be awarded in every subject,pointing out that all the papers were difficult. The circular, dated January 25, 1999, says the decision to award eight grace marks to every candidate was taken following representations from candidates which were considered by the paper setter and the examiners. “The results of all the candidates who appeared at the final MBBS examination held in October 1998, have therefore been modified by adding eight grace marks and adjusting the grace marks already granted to some of the candidates,” the circular states.

Hence, apart from the overall final year MBBS results being augmented, 64 additional candidates passed the exam, while 38 students who had failed in the Prevention and Social Medicine paper were ultimately declared as passed.The decision, however, violates usual university procedures for awarding grace marks. While the quantum per paper varies each year, the marks are fixed every year by the paper setters and examiners who take into account the previous years’ average and the papers’ level ofdifficulty, among other things. In this instance, as per the university’s calculations, unsuccessful candidates were entitled to a maximum six grace marks in the paper in question. However, the vice-chancellor chose to award eight extra marks.Dr Deshmukh says the decision was taken by calculating an average of the 15 marks for the difficult questions. “We rounded it off to eight marks,” she told The Indian Express. Academicians point out that the paper’s level of difficulty would have been taken into account when the paper setters and examiners initially calculated the six grace marks, obviating the need to compensate for the 15-mark short notes’ section in the first place.

Also, the decision was taken at a meeting convened by Dr Deshmukh after January 12, which is the first time ever that grace marks have been awarded after the declaration of results. Though students say they complained about the tough’ question paper soon after the exam, Dr Deshmukh claims she received representations only after theresults were announced.

Academicians also point out that with every student being given the extra eight marks, some would have scored more than the maximum marks allotted to the short notes section!