The second and third year exams for Maharashtra medical, dental and undergraduate degree courses began almost six months late on Thursday, with nearly 40,000 students expected to physically take the exams in designated centers between June 10 and 30.

“As if the pandemic were not enough, relentless rains in several districts of Maharashtra have affected the basic travel facilities available to students. However, our state government insists on conducting these exams offline, putting thousands of lives at risk, ”one student said on condition of anonymity.

Over the past few days, many students have taken to social media sites to share their anger and fear and have alleged that they are “forced” to sit for exams in offline mode despite Maharashtra still recording some. of the highest numbers of Covid-19 cases. in the country on a daily basis.

“Students share rooms and bathrooms in youth hostels, which leads to a greater fear of [the infection spreading] among the students. While examination authorities insist on safety protocols in examination centers, no one is demanding the same in the hostels where students stay and it could lead to chaos, ”said another student.

Usually scheduled for December-January, second and third year exams MBBS, BDS and other paramedical courses and certificates have been postponed three times this year due to the growing number of Covid-19 cases recorded statewide. The documents were last postponed from April to June.

Last week, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the HERD Educational and Medical Research Foundation, a Nagpur-based NGO and physiotherapy student Nitesh Dhanraj Tantarpale.

The plea asked the court to order the state to either conduct online exams or vaccinate nearly 40,000 undergraduates before proceeding with physical mode exams.

Refusing to grant a provisional exemption from the upcoming exams in the winter session, however, the court ordered the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) to issue a notice to the directors of various medical schools in the State that it would be desirable for applicants to produce a negative opinion. RT-PCR report accompanied by the room ticket at the start of the exams on June 10.