Repatriated medical students in penultimate year allowed to clear MBBS final exams in two attempts, says Supreme Court

On March 28, 2023, the Supreme Court of India allowed the repatriated Indian medical students from Ukraine, the Philippines, and China to clear MBBS final exams. A batch of petitions was filed by the repatriated Indian medical students and was disposed of by the top Court after hearing from the Central government that without being enrolled in any Indian medical college, the penultimate students would be allowed to take the MBBS examination in a single attempt. The bench while hearing the matter opined that there are various situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia war, which were beyond human control. The Supreme Court further observed that “We find that the career of around 500 medical students who have already put in five years of study are at stake. They have already completed seven semesters of study physically and three semesters online…The parents of the students have spent a huge amount on their studies. If no solution is found, at this stage, the entire career of these students would be left in the lurch, apart from the families being put at sufferance.” After hearing the submissions, the bench ordered, “We accept the report of the committee, subject to a minor modification. The student being offered a single chance to clear MBBS Final, both Part I and Part II Examinations, be read as student being offered single/two chances to clear both Part I and Part II examinations. We clarify that the two chances will be for both Part I and Part II examinations.”

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