Following SC order, top 13 ranks in UP PG medical entrance exam score more than max marks

Suryabhan Mishra belongs to a small village in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The son of a humble farmer, he grew up with a dream of becoming a doctor, to “serve people, earn respect and live a life of dignity”. His parents believed in his dream and made sure that their son got the proper education. After completing his schooling in the local government school, and working hard for four long years – without any help of coaching classes, which in any case Mishra could not afford – he cracked the UPCPMT (Uttar Pradesh Combined Pre-Medical Test) and secured a MBBS seat at BRD medical college, Gorakhpur. For Mishra it was a dream come true. [caption id=“attachment_2296078” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] After completing his MBBS, Mishra appeared for the post graduate entrance exam. Like a host of other aspirants, Mishra too wanted to do masters in Radiology and worked hard for it. “Every doctor’s dream branch nowadays is Radiology. I wanted to become a radiologist too. In my first attempt in PG entrance exams, I got all India rank 3100 and in Uttar Pradesh Post Graduate Medical Entrance Exam (UPPGMEE) I fetched rank 75. I was getting various branches like medicine, surgery but not radiology. I did not have enough funds to prepare for another year but did not want to give up. I managed some funds and went on to prepare for another year. In spite of so much mental, financial and emotional pressure, I worked hard and with god’s grace, got seventh rank in UPPGMEE 2016. I was finally getting Radiology from KGMU, Lucknow — my dream branch and dream college,” Mishra said. He added, “I remember calling up my mother and we cried that day because I thought that I will be able to do good in life and pay off all my debts. I started working as a radiology Jr-1 in King George’s Medical University (KGMU) Lucknow, with much contentment. Little did I knew, that this happiness was short lived. The Supreme Court order that came on 12 May shook me completely. From seventh rank, I was shifted to 86 and instead of radiology in KGMU, I was given psychiatry. I am right back to where I started. I do not know what to do, where to go. I do have a seat, but not the one I deserved, not the one I struggled for 11 years to get.” Mishra is not alone in this. More than 300 hardworking doctors are grappling with an uncertain future in Uttar Pradesh. UPPGMEE is conducted for Doctor of Medicine (MD), Master of Surgery (MS) and diploma courses, every year by the state. This year it was conducted by KGMU. In the prospectus, it was stated that 30 percent of seats are reserved for Provincial Medical Health Services (PHMS) doctors (government doctors working at primary health centres). In January, the prospectus were issued and on 13 March, the exams were conducted and results were announced on 18 March, following which the merit list was declared. From 4 April to 8 April counselling was held in which 330 students from open category were allotted their seats. Most of them deposited their fees and started working from 1 May. Counselling for 30 percent reserved seats was to take place on 9-10 April. But before that, on 7 April, the Allahabad High Court passed an order where it quashed the 30 percent reservation given to PMHS doctors. It was done because PMHS doctors working in urban areas were also demanding reservation. The high court sought an explanation from the medical council of India (MCI) on the issue. MCI in its reply said that there was no point in alloting 30 percent reservation. But it added, that the state can give reservation in diploma courses. MCI in its clarification also said that there were not enough seats in PG courses and giving reservation would not leave much for the open category applicants. Following the high court order, both PHMS doctors working in rural and urban areas moved the Supreme Court challenging the high court’s decision. The Supreme Court, on 12 May, overruled the high court’s judgment and ruled that an extra weightage of marks were to be given to the PMHS candidates according to their years of service – ten percent of the obtained marks were added as extra marks for one year, 20 percent for two years, and 30 percent for three years, with the maximum limit set at 30 percent. In the order, the Supreme Court held, “Further provided that in determining the merit and the entrance test for postgraduate admission weightage in the marks may be given as an incentive at the rate of 10% of marks obtained of each year in service in remote and difficult areas up to the maximum of 30 percent of the marks obtained”. Students are contending that the provision of giving reservation to PHMS doctors are meant only for remote and difficult areas and that “the government is mixing these areas with rural area and there is no remote or difficult area in Uttar Pradesh, and these remote and difficult areas are in hilly areas or tribal areas.” It was in January 2014, that the Uttar Pradesh government reserved 30 per cent of the post-graduate seats for those MBBS doctors who have completed their mandatory stint of rural services. After the Supreme Court order, fresh counselling sessions were held, and a fresh merit list was prepared in which Jawed Akhter – who previously scored 82 rank – got the first place in the list with 211.9 marks out of total 200. Rakesh Kumar Pandey who previously scored 239 rank has now got second rank with 205.4 marks out of total 200 marks. On the other hand Anveshika Srivastava, who had secured the first rank previously, got the 72nd rank.  Many of those who had earlier got more than 1000 rank, were now under 100 and would be eligible for admission into the best of colleges and departments. Sushmita, one of the aspirants, who is at the receiving end because of the new merit list said, “We were the most affected party but we were never heard. We were never told that seats were subjected to any such case at the time of exam. The apex court was also kept in the dark as it was never informed that counselling had already taken place and that we had already started working.” Mukund Agrawal, who got 812 rank in the All India Post Graduate Medical Entrance Examination (AIPGMEE) was allotted MD Paediatrics at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JLNMC) Aligarh. However, in UPPGMEE he got the 16th rank and was allotted MD Medicine at Moti Lal Nehru Medical College (MLNMC) Allahabad. “I opted for UPPGMEE and left MD Paediatrics allotted through AIPGMEE. But after the fresh counselling following the Supreme Court order, I was allotted Paediatrics at Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (RIMSR) at Saifai, and that too a permitted seat and not a recognised seat. This is so unfair. After so much of handwork we are getting much less than what we deserve,” Agrawal said. Similarly, Nikhil Chaudhary got all India rank 867 and was allotted orthopaedics in Kanpur Medical College. In UPPGMEE, he got second rank and his dream branch medicine in KGMU. But after the fresh counselling his rank shifted to 79, which fetched him Medicine at Meerut Medical College. “This is totally unfair. After securing rank two, I am not getting my desired collage. The college which has been allotted to me now is not what I deserve. I don’t want to continue with it. And also due to joining in first round counselling I was not able to focus on the PGI Chandigarh exam and that dragged my PGI rank to 187. I had to suffer losses from all sides,” says Chaudhary. Now, hundreds of non-PMHS candidates like Sushmita, Mukund and Srishti have come together and have filed a review petition in the Supreme Court and are waiting to be heard. Shivendra Rai, who got fourth place in UPPGMEE merit list and was allotted MD from KGMU, was shifted to rank 81, and is now unable to get any seats of his choice. He had secured rank 545 in the all India exam, and was given a seat for MD at Allahabad. But he left it because he got his preferred college. But now he is clueless. “I don’t know what to do. But surely I don’t want to become a doctor. I m feeling cheated at this moment,” rues Rai.