A five-member committee of MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur has initiated an inquiry into the alleged circulation of photographs of a question paper for Odisha’s medical postgraduate examination on social media when the exam was underway, officials told PTI.
According to the news agency, photographs of a question paper for the All Odisha Medical PG Examination were purportedly forwarded on WhatsApp on July 27, when the theory paper for the 2023-26 batch postgraduate students was in progress.
“A five-member committee headed by the superintendent of the medical college was formed on Thursday evening. The panel has begun its investigation into the incident. The committee will submit its report in 72 hours,” MKCG Medical College and Hospital Dean-cum-Principal Harekrushna Dalai told PTI.
Panel to Probe Paper Circulation, Identify Those Responsible
Dalai said that the panel will look into the allegations to ascertain whether the paper was circulated from the MKCG Medical College examination hall and, if so, how it unfolded and who the perpetrators were.
“It will submit its report along with necessary recommendations to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” he said.
Dalai also informed that the Odisha University of Health Sciences (OUHS) has issued directions on fortifying security arrangements for the PG examinations.
Previously, the dean had stated that the incident could not be labelled a question paper “leak” because the photographs surfaced during the examination hours.
Detailing the incident, officials told the news agency that images of the second paper of General Surgery for the MS/MD course of the 2023-26 batch were allegedly shared in WhatsApp groups created by some postgraduate students.
Allegations that the responses were also circulated from specific numbers while the exam was ongoing also surfaced.
How the Alleged Circulation Came to Light
The matter was reported by a student of a private medical college in Bhubaneswar, who allegedly had access to the photographs of the question paper. He flagged the issue, alleging he received the paper through a WhatsApp group created by a student of MKCG Medical College and Hospital.
The theory papers for the medical PG exams for the 2023-26 batch began on July 21. Two more exams are scheduled for August 1 and 5, and a total of 154 students are appearing for the exam at MKCG Medical College and Hospital.