West Bengal introduces CCTV and live-streaming for MBBS exams

West Bengal has introduced CCTV surveillance and live-streaming for MBBS exams. The new SOPs aim to ensure transparency and curb malpractice in medical education.

In Short

• CCTV and live-streaming for MBBS exams announced by Bengal government
• Answer sheets to feature barcodes, no names
• Odd-even seating patterns to prevent cheating also applied

The West Bengal University of Health Sciences has implemented new measures for conducting MBBS exams in the state's medical colleges. In line with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) introduced under the guidance of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also serves as the state’s health minister, all MBBS exams will now be conducted under CCTV surveillance and live-streamed for additional oversight.

To maintain exam integrity, answer sheets will no longer display student names but will use barcodes for identification. Seating arrangements will also follow an alternating odd-even roll number pattern to discourage copying among students.

To enhance transparency in MBBS exams, West Bengal University of Health Sciences has mandated that daily CCTV footage from exam sessions be recorded and sent to the university in a separate folder, with the requirement that footage be stored for a minimum of one year, an official reported.

These measures align with demands from junior doctors who advocated for stricter examination protocols after a recent tragic incident at a hospital, where a woman medic was allegedly assaulted and killed on August 9. Following this, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee committed to implementing an SOP to prevent exam malpractices, addressing the junior doctors’ call for reform.

Their list of ten demands highlighted concerns about unqualified students obtaining MBBS certificates despite irregular attendance, which they believe undermines the profession’s standards. "We hope these changes will also lead to improvements in medical services," remarked a junior doctor involved in the recent protests.

As per the directives of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the MBBS exams will now be monitored under CCTV surveillance, and the entire exam process will be live-streamed.

Here are a few key highlights of the new measures:

• CCTV surveillance: All exam venues will be under constant CCTV surveillance, and footage from the entire examination day will be sent to the university in a separate folder. The footage will be stored for a minimum of one year for review purposes.
• Live streaming: To further ensure transparency, the exams will be live-streamed, allowing authorities to monitor the proceedings in real time.
• Anonymised answer sheets: Students’ answer sheets will be anonymised using barcodes instead of names, which will make it harder to trace answers back to individuals.
• Odd-even roll number seating: To discourage cheating, students will be required to sit in an odd-even roll number seating pattern.
• Junior doctors’ advocacy: The decision came after a series of protests by junior doctors who demanded stricter measures to ensure transparency in the examination system. Their protests were triggered after the death of a woman medic and allegations of unqualified students obtaining MBBS degrees.

Additionally, it aims to address concerns raised by junior doctors regarding malpractice, especially the alleged practice of unqualified students receiving MBBS certificates despite not attending classes for several years.

(With inputs from PTI)