Andhra Pradesh: NTR varsity move to replace examiner set aside by HC

Hyderabad: A division bench of the Hyderabad High Court has found fault with the act of removal of an internal examiner Dr Deen Dayal Bung by the Vice-Chancellor of NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada and Principal, Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad. It has upheld the order of a single judge who has set aside the removal decision of the University. Dr Bung was replaced by Dr Srinivasa Chary, as the internal examiner for the MS (General Surgery) examinations of the Osmania Medical College. The Court while setting aside the decision has also imposed costs on the university and the OMC, Principal.

“If the persons at the helm of affairs in the colleges and universities yield to the pressure of the students, discipline will be a casualty and lawlessness will rule the roost. If such weakness is shown, a handful of unscrupulous students may try to gain upper hand and hold the university to ransom. Such a situation must not be allowed to emerge under any circumstances,” the bench observed.

The bench of Justice C V Nagarjuna Reddy and Justice G Shyam Prasad was responding to part appeals filed by the University and some PG students against the single judge order.

The single judge bench in July this year allowing the petition by Dr Deen Dayal Bung, (professor and HOD of Department of General Surgery),OMC, cancelled the MS General Surgery, practical examination held from May 29 to June 1, 2017 and gave directions to the University VC to form a fresh panel of internal examiners with Dr Bung as part of it and hold the examination afresh, within four weeks.

The bench also imposed a fine of '5,000 each on the University and OMC, Principal payable to Dr Bung. Unhappy over this decision, the University and some PG medical students appealed to the bench against it.

Giving its judgement after hearing the case and going through facts available, the bench stated that there were no justifiable reasons given by the university and the principal on their decision of having replaced Dr Bung.

Commenting on the allegations made by the PG students against Dr Bung, the enquiry committee report found allegations against the professor to have been both ‘false and baseless’.

The report called it unfortunate that the varsity has given in to pressures of the PG students in recommending for replacement of Dr Bung. “We do not find any justification whatever in his replacement just because some students did not want him to be an internal examiner”, the bench said while refusing to interfere with the order of the single judge.

“We do not find any justification whatever in his replacement just because some students did not want him to be an internal examiner,” said the bench, refusing to interfere with the order of the single judge reports TNIE.