MUMBAI: Thousands of postgraduate medical students in Maharashtra are facing an uncertain future after the Bombay high court derecognised the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) a year ago. The situation has left more than 2,342 students, who completed their courses but could not appear for the exams, in a tough spot.
The students were admitted to various postgraduate medical courses under CPS through the NEET-PG examination and the government counselling process in 2021. The two-year courses began in 2022 and were completed in 2024. The exams for these courses too were conducted in 2024. However, many students could not appear for these or failed to clear them and were waiting for the next opportunity to take the exams.
It was during this time that the Bombay high court passed an order cancelling the CPS recognition. Following this, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research stopped conducting further exams, leaving students who had already completed their courses but not given the exams in a difficult situation. “Without the postgraduate degree, we cannot progress in our careers,” said one of the protesting students. The delay, they said, had created uncertainty about their professional future and financial stability.
The affected students have demanded that the state government and the medical education department take an urgent decision in the matter. They have asked the authorities to announce a clear schedule for the examination, declare results and clarify the process for further registration so that they can receive their postgraduate qualification.
According to information available with the medical education department, around 2,342 postgraduate medical students across the state have been affected by this issue. Many of these students have now started protesting at Azad Maidan in Mumbai.
Students say that some of their batchmates who passed the exam earlier are now working in hospitals and medical institutions and earning salaries of around ₹2.5 lakh per month. However, those who are still waiting for the exam are forced to continue working with only their MBBS qualification and are paid much lower salaries.
The RSS-affiliated student union Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has extended support to the protesting students. “The students took admission through a proper process based on merit, and therefore they must be given the opportunity to appear for the exams,” said Rahul Rajoria, Konkan state secretary of ABVP. “If the government does not find an immediate solution and ensure justice for all affected students soon, we will intensify our protest in support of them.”