Guwahati: The Gauhati University Executive Council on Thursday returned a directive issued by Chancellor and Assam Governor Lt. Gen. (retd.) Ajai Singh to award grace marks to 14 unsuccessful MBBS students.

"The council preferred to make an appeal to the Chancellor to reconsider it," Vice-Chancellor G.N. Talukdar told The Hindu after an emergency meeting here.

The directive came with a recommendation for award of grace marks in one subject, after the council, the Examination Committee and the Standing Committee of the Academic Council had turned down a petition by the 14 students of the Gauhati Medical College.

As the results were already announced, grace marks could not be awarded, the three bodies said.

The students, who approached the Governor on January 2, argued that under the Graduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulation, 2002 of the Medical Council of India, any candidate who failed in a single subject was eligible for grace marks.

The Governor issued the directive, exercising his jurisdiction as Chancellorunder Sub-section 9 of Section 3 of the Gauhati University Act 1, 1947.

A Raj Bhavan official said the university authorities had no option but to carry out the order. The Governor was away in New Delhi, he said.

"Unfortunate"

Describing the development as "unfortunate and unprecedented" Gauhati University Teachers Association president A. Rahman said the Chancellor should pay more attention to larger problems such as fund crunch than to this "petty issue."

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