MADURAI: Over 10000 B.Pharm students studying in various colleges affiliated to The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R Medical University are in a fix, for they fear they will miss the chance for pursuing M.Pharm this year as they are yet to write their final-year examination.
With the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) deciding to conduct the entrance test for M.Pharm course on October 29, the students have appealed to Chief Minister MK Stalin and Health Minister Ma Subramanian to take necessary steps to postpone the examination.
As per the notification issued by the directorate, the deadline for applying for the postgraduate course is October 12.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, a final year B.Pharm student, who preferred anonymity, said various semester examinations were delayed due to the outbreak of Covid-19. "The final year students will be writing the seventh semester exam only from October 14. The varsity has announced the eighth semester exam will be held in January next year," she said.
As per the DME notification, only students studying in deemed universities are eligible to apply for the M.Pharm entrance test.
The student said 115 students are studying for final year B.Pharm course in Government medical colleges in Madurai and Chennai. "This apart over 10,000 students are pursiong their final year B.Pharm in more than 100 self-financing colleges affiliated to The TamilNadu Dr. M.G.R Medical University across the State," she pointed out.
The student said as per the DME notification, the final-year students have to wait for a year to join M.Pharm at the medical university. "Otherwise, we have to join private self financing colleges by paying huge sum as donation and fees. The current DME notification is indirectly encouraging the private self-financing colleges and deemed universities," she alleged.
ALSO READ | Madurai NIPER: A non-starter for 12 years
T Raja, a lecturer working in a self-financing college, claimed the DME has been following the same pattern for the last many years. "It is purposefully denying higher education to the students of Dr. M.G.R Medical University," he said.
Drawing a parallel between students of final-year engineering and medicine, he said the final year BE students are eligible to appear for TANCET entrance examination. "State-run universities (Arts and Science) are offering PG courses based on the fifth semester marks in UG. Similar kind of rules need to be followed by DME," he suggested.
When The New Indian Express contacted Director of Medical Education, Dr R Narayanababu, he said the selection committee issued the notification as per the National Testing Agency norms.
Additional Director of Medical Education/Secretary of Selection Committee Dr R Muthuselvan said that Pharmacy Council of India had told them to complete the procedure within October. "We didn't receive any representations from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R Medical University," he said.
The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R Medical University Vice Chancellor Dr. Sudha Seshayyan was not available for a comment.