BJ Medical College: Third Year MS Surgery who tried to Commit suicide allowed to sit for exams

Ahmedabad: To his major respite, Dr Mairaj Mariappah, a third-year MS Surgery student at BJ Medical college, who had tried to commit suicide in the month of January this year alleging discrimination by the Gujarat University, has gotten its clearance to appear for the upcoming PG examinations starting from October 1^st.

The doctor, who hails from Tamil Nadu, is a third-year MS surgery student at the government-run BJ Medical College.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported about Dr Mariappah’s suicide bid where he tried to end his life by consuming sleeping pills at his hostel room alleging that as being a Dalit, he was facing discrimination.

However, Civil Superintendent Dr M M Prabhakar of the Civil Hospital, to which the college is attached, refuted the said allegations. “There are various levels of surgeries, and Mariraj is still a student. It is up to teachers to decide whether a student can perform a particular surgery or not as a part of his course. No student can demand it (the right to conduct surgeries),” said Dr Prabhakar.

After his suicide attempt, the student failed to submit his dissertation at the mandated date. As a result, the Gujarat University decided not to allow him to sit in the exam.

Read Also: MS Surgery Student at BJ Medical College tries to end life

Disappointed, Dr Mariappah moved the High Court by filing a petition, but the university stayed its stand reiterating that rules cannot be relaxed for one student. Whereas a single judge rejected his petition; the division bench on May 2 directed the university to allow him to take exams, which were beginning from the next day.

However, the university didn’t declare his score but submitted it to the High Court in a sealed cover. When unwrapped, it came up that the doctor had cleared the test in theory but failed in practical examination managing to score only 78 marks out of 225

At the same time, during a recent hearing, the university accepted his dissertation and stated that he can continue with his studies and sit in next set of exams. Subsequently, Dr Mariappah withdrew his petition, reports TOI, Next set of exams take place from October 1