AIIMS scraps 50% cut-off marks in MBBS entrance exam- TOI

TOI reports that Unable to fill all reserved category seats last year, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has decided to do away with 50% cut-off criteria in its AIIMS MBBS entrance exam from this academic session. The decision is likely to spark controversy as faculty members and junior doctors feel that this is is in violation of SC order, according to which, there ought to be cut-off marks in all medical entrance exams.

Now, if a reserved category student scores a zero or negative marks he/she can still get admission in AIIMS provided there is seat available in category he/she belongs to. According to rules, if reserved category seats are not filled, then these will filled up by general category students.

"Now, a reserved category student will get admission in AIIMS even if he/she scores zero in the entrance exam. A general category student with 50% marks will be rejected as the seat belongs to the reserved category. The 50% marks in entrance exam was a way to to get deserving students in AIIMS,'' said Dr Rahul Bhargava, president, Resident Doctors' Association, AIIMS.

According to Dr Sunil Chumber, sub-dean academics, AIIMS, "This is a hypothetical situation no one scores a zero in the entrance exam. And I don't want to comment on a situation which will never occur. Moreover, only those students are eligible to apply who have scored 50% marks in class 12.''

But senior faculty members feel that this will bring down the standard of India's premier medical institute. "If a student can't score a minimum of 50% in the entrance exam, how will he/she clear the regular exams which are part of the curriculum ? Are we going to lower the pass percentage of the regular exams conducted as part of the MBBS programme?'' asked a senior faculty member.

The MBBS entrance exam is scheduled for June 1 and there are around 77 seats in the course. Faculty members and resident doctors say that the scrapping of the 50% cut-off marks in entrance exam is against the Supreme Court order. "The SC order says that there should be a difference in cut-off marks between general and reserved category candidates. How can they (AIIMS administration ) scrap it on its own? This is against the SC order,'' said Dr Bhargava.

Source - Times of India