The Delhi High Court has refused to scrap the common entrance test for post-graduate medical courses in wake of allegations of copying at some centres saying that mere apprehension of cheating cannot be a ground to quash the entire test when the incident is being probed.
Justice Hima Kohli dismissed the pleas, made by some candidates, to quash the All-India Post Graduate Medical Entrance Examination (AIPGMEE), held on January 8 at 156 centres across the country, saying that they were "premature" and based on "surmises" and "conjectures".
"Merely an apprehension expressed by the petitioners that they would suffer irreparable loss and injury in the event of a scam, which is under investigation by the Crime Branch, Delhi Police, cannot be considered as sufficient ground for quashing the AIPGMEE-2012 held on January 8, 2012 for 69,069 candidates all over the country, said Justice Kohli.
"When the magnitude of the aforesaid incident is still unknown and the investigations are on, the present petition can only be termed as one based on surmises and conjectures... the petition is dismissed along with the pending application, as being premature and without any basis," she added.
The petitions filed by five candidates had mentioned reports of copying from various centres including Noida saying that it was a part of a widespread scam. The petitioners had also sought direction to the AIIMS to evolve some mechanism to prevent the recurrence of cheating in the PG entrance examination.
The AIIMS, however, had opposed the demand claiming that it was a stray incident which took place only at Noida centre and in the remaining 155 centres, the examination were held peacefully and without any hindrance.