The integrity of medical postgraduate examinations in India has been further questioned after the video of a live question paper being circulated on WhatsApp while the test was in progress. At a time when the whole country is sensitive and scrutiny are on the rise as examination security and system leaks are intensified with the recent national controversies like NEET, this recent incident in Odisha has raised a lot of concerns among students, academics, and education authorities.
According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), the alleged breach occurred on July 27 during the critical General Surgery theory examination for MS and MD students from the 2023-26 batch of the medical students. According to officials, the sharp digital images of the second question paper were shared by several WhatsApp groups that are supposedly created and managed by postgraduate medical students. Additionally, students claimed that matching answers are being broadcast and shared through specific phone numbers while the examination is still in progress in secure halls.
The problem was first revealed by an observant student from a private medical college in Bhubaneswar who reported to authorities that he had received clear photographs of the live question paper through a WhatsApp group that was allegedly run by a student of the renowned MKCG Medical College and Hospital located in Berhampur. Aware of these revelations, Odisha University of Health Sciences (OUHS) Vice Chancellor Manas Ranjan Sahoo immediately called for an emergency virtual meeting with the medical leaders involved in the postgraduate exams. At the meeting, the college leaders were directed to tighten security measures, beef up frisking and strengthen invigilation for all papers.
In response to the issue, MKCG Medical College and Hospital Dean-cum-Principal Harekrushna Dalai categorically denied the paper leaks were a phenomenon of a normal question paper leak. The paper images were taken and sent only after the examination had officially begun, Dalai said. There is a clear rule that mobile phones are not allowed in examination halls, as he was surprised how such a device managed to overcome security checks and to transmit the material. An investigation has been launched to locate the device used and identify security lapses. Meanwhile, the theory exams of 154 students in MKCG are now in the final stage and the remaining papers will be given to the students in the week of August 1 and August 5.
