High Court Allows RGUHS Convocation

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday permitted the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) to go ahead with its convocation scheduled to be held at Dhanavantri Hall on the university premises in Jayanagar on Thursday.

The court made it clear that the RGUHS could not award the gold medal in postgraduate stream in ENT.

Justice Mohan Shantanagouder passed the order on a petition by Soumya of Bangalore Medical College who had challenged the exclusion of her name from the final list of gold medallists.

Dr. Soumya said she joined the PG course in ENT in 2005. She was scheduled to take her final examination in April 2008. She said she had availed of maternity leave during the course. When she reported back, she was told only staff could avail themselves of maternity leave.

The college intervened and RGUHS permitted her to take the examination after she got the requisite attendance in October 2008 examination, in which she got 70 per cent.

RGUHS then came out with a preliminary list of gold medallists in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. Dr. Soumya, who secured the highest percentage, was marked as a gold medal winner but her name was absent in the final list as university rules require that gold medallists have to complete the course within the shortest time. The gold medal in ENT went to Vineeta Udoshi of JN Medical College, Belgaum and Dr. Soumya petitioned the court.

When the matter came up, Justice Mohan Shantangouder asked RGUHS to refrain from awarding the medal till the matter was settled. He permitted the convocation to go on and adjourned hearing of the case.