A preliminary enquiry report found irregularities in the marks awarded to around 217 first year MBBS students at GMC, attached to the JJ Group of Hospitals. The University also appointed a three-member team to look into the matter on November 16. Yet, due to a `lack of communication' between departments, the results slipped out by December 2.

A committee set up by Grant Medical College dean A C Mohanty conducted a preliminary enquiry after several posters appeared in the JJ premises in the last week of October announcing that students could buy marks for money from Dr K A Rangari(professor and head of anatomy department) and two of the department's lecturers, Dr A I Rana and Dr S Rao. Mohanty set up a committee comprising Dr R G Bhusale, professor and head of Department of Forensic Medicine, Dr Ashok Rathod, professor of pediatrics, and Dr S A Patwardhan, professor of anatomy at GMC. The team observed that the internal assessment marks awarded by Dr Rangari had not been entered into the department's master mark list. The report also pointed to discrepancies, overwriting and other irregularities in the entry of marks in the students' progress cards, and arbitrary awarding of internal assessment marks to the students. ``The internal assessment marks given are disproportionate to their (students) performance in part, terminal, prelim theory examination'', said the report, adding that ``a doubtful modus operandi was adopted while giving internal assessment marks.''

Endorsing this report, the dean, in a letter to the vice-chancellor, asked that the internal assessment marks awarded byDr Rangari be cancelled. He also asked that a fresh order to be issued for internal assessment marks to be submitted to the university ``in the larger of candidates appearing for first MBBS examination in November 1998''.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Naresh Chandra then formed a committee comprising Dr S N Deshmukh, dean, faculty of medicine, University of Mumbai, Dr Lopa Mehta (with G S Medical College, Parel) and Dr Alka Gogate (with LTMG, Sion). The committee was asked to submit its report in 15 days.

Although the deadline passed, no meeting of the committee was convened. According to Dr Chandra, ``Dr Deshmukh failed to receive the letter appointing him as convenor as he was on leave.'' Dr Deshmukh later expressed his inability to work on the panel due to personal reasons. This information was relayed to the Controller of Examinations, but did not reach other sections of the university. In the interim, the results section announced the first year MBBS results as they were unaware that an enquiry was inprogress, admitted Dr Chandra.

Dr Mehta has now taken charge of the inquiry, and the reconstituted two-member team will submit its report by this weekend. ``We will decide on the course of action after the report comes in,'' Dr Chandra told Express Newsline.