Students pursuing MBBS, BDS, Nursing may miss scholarships
Kolkata: Students belonging to various minority communities who have been pursuing MBBS, BDS, Nursing, Ayush or Homeopathy courses under the West Bengal Health University of Health Sciences (WBUHS) may face difficulties in availing scholarships extended by the Mamata Banerjee government if they are not promoted to the next class, apprehend some students and doctors alike.
Some city-based doctors have already written to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking her intervention so that the WBUHS promotes these candidates to the next class as per the guidelines issued by the UGC. Otherwise, the candidates who receive the benefits of various scholarships including 'Aikyashree' introduced by the state government may not be able to get it beyond a certain period of time.
The doctors who wrote the letter to the Chief Minister pointed out that many universities from other states have already promoted their students to the next class following the instruction of the UGC. The MBBS first year students and also the first, second and third year students of BDS, Nursing and Ayush students may be deprived of the scholarships if the WBUHS
does not hold internal examination due to Covid or the candidates are not promoted to the next class.
Under 'Aikyashree' scholarship, a brain child of the Chief Minister, the beneficiaries get anything between Rs 17,000 to Rs 33,000 per year. Many of the students belong to the poor families and they help their parents by providing a part of the amount.
"The scholarship needs to be renewed every year. The candidates can fill up the renewal forms only if they pass the class exams. One can fill up the form August 1 till November 15. If the WBUHS fails to conduct the exam due to Covid situation they can promote them on the basis of marks received by the students in the internal examinations. Online exams can also be organized. The candidates must be promoted unless the poor but meritorious students will face problems if they do not get the scholarships offered by the state government. UGC guidelines state that students can be promoted on the basis of internal assessment," said Dr A.K Maity, one of the doctors who raised the issue.
Saddam Mirza, a second year Homeopathy student said: "Calcutta University is holding online examination then why the WBUHS cannot conduct online exams. Asish Bhowmik and Kabir Da, both the MBBS students said: "We have to face a great deal of difficulties if we do not get the scholarships on time. We belong to a very lower middle class family and the money we get from the state government really makes a difference to us."
