Instead of discontinuing with the system, introduced for the MBBS course in April 1998, the University of Mumbai has agreed to work towards making the system foolproof, following complaints of alleged irregularities and anomalies in allotment of centres and supervision of the examinations.

At some centres, students had alleged, examiners had asked them to identify the colleges with which they were enrolled and discriminated against them on this basis. They alleged that students from private colleges were allotted lower marks than their colleagues from government medical colleges.

Others had said taking the exam in an unfamiliar college was distracting as they had difficulty locating the exam halls and otherfacilities. Several of them also said commuting to a new college early in the morning, which is when the exams are held, was another problem.

The meeting, attended by deans of six of the nine medical colleges affiliated to the university, recommended that observers should be present during examinations to prevent malpractices.

It was also suggested that students should be taken to their respective centres a week before their exams, and familiarised with the premises.

Also, since allotment of centres is done alphabetically, some students end up taking their exams at their own colleges. To counter this, it was suggested that such students should be grouped and allotted other centres.

The recommendations will now be forwarded to the Board of Examinations, which will take a final decision, according to the university's Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Naresh Chandra.