In a rare and startling case, three students at Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, have been pursuing their MBBS degrees for 15 to 20 years. The students belong to the 1998, 2009, and 2010 batches and have been unable to complete their courses due to repeated failures and procedural delays.
The issue came to light when a 2010 batch student approached the High Court after waiting nearly 15 years for his MBBS result. Following the court's intervention, the result was finally released, but the student failed in two subjects. The court has now allowed him to appear in supplementary exams.
Dr Ramkumar Jaiswal, Principal of BRD Medical College, said, "The process for the supplementary examination is underway and will be completed in 10-15 days. We have requested the university to issue the results for the 1998 and 2009 batch students in the same manner as directed by the High Court so that they can also appear for supplementary exams."
According to current National Medical Commission (NMC) rules, MBBS students must pass first-year examinations within four attempts, and the entire course, including the 4.5-year academic curriculum and one-year rotating internship, must be completed within 5.5 to 6 years. The maximum allowed duration is 10 years, after which registration is cancelled.
However, the three BRD students have exceeded this limit due to procedural hurdles. Their final-year exams were conducted in 2024, but results were delayed because the university awaited NMC guidelines. Earlier, under the Medical Council of India (MCI), there was no strict timeline, but NMC regulations now clearly define qualifying timelines. The administration had to seek clarification from NMC, which caused further delays.
Dr Jaiswal added, "The guidelines issued by NMC in 2023 benefit current students, but for older batches, it was unclear which rules to follow. After the court order, the university has been directed to release results and permit supplementary exams for the affected students."
