GMC students continue to protest over admission scam

Srinagar: Students of Government Medical College (GMC) here on Saturday staged a protest, demanding expulsion of those students who gained admission by unfair means in the Common Entrance Test (CET).

The undergraduate students, who abstained from class for the third consecutive day today, took out a peaceful rally from the college to Karan Nagar Chowk and demanded "concrete measures" against those who gained admission by illegal means. "We demand concrete measures against those students who bought the examination papers to get admission. Those who used unfair means should be punished," they said. Crime Branch is investigating a scam involving Board of Professional Entrance Exam (BOPEE) officials and middlemen, who allegedly leaked CET question papers to help some students gain admission to GMC. Seeking a thorough probe into the scam, the students said they will not return to their class unless the government acts against the offenders. "Why should we suffer for the folly of others? This should not affect our careers. We have worked hard to reach here. We will not attend the classes till government acts," the students said. Meanwhile, Principal, GMC, Rafiq Pampori expressed hope that the students will call off the strike and resume their classes from Monday. "We had asked them to register their protest inside the campus as they are very hurt. Some students went outside but returned peacefully. We have counseled the students and hopefully they will resume class work from Monday," Pampori told PTI. He said the concern of the students was "genuine" and government must fasttrack the probe. "The concern of the students is genuine. We want a fasttrack probe into the matter so as to settle the issue quickly," Pampori said.