Imphal, February 19: Can there be different yardsticks while enforcing the rules laid down for a competitive examination, particularly when it comes to such a crucial examination as the RIMS PG Entrance examination, which was held on February 11 ? A candidate who was unceremoniously not allowed to sit for the examination on the ground that he had arrived late by 3 minutes has raised the question, �I was not allowed to sit for the examination on the ground that I was late by 3 minutes, as per clause number 7 of the Direction issued to the candidates in the admit card.

However there still remains the question of whether the authority concerned had abided by Clause 2 of the Direction issued to the candidates�.

Clause 2 of the said rule says, �Candidates should report at the examination hall 15 minutes before the commencement of the examination�.

Citing this clause, the candidate who was barred from sitting for the said PG entrance test, countered �If Clause number 7 was enforced so strictly, I would like to question whether all the candidates who were allowed to appear for the entrance test had reported 15 minutes before the examination started�.

The examination was to start at 11 am and this in effect means that all the candidates should report by 10.45 am, he said and questioned, �Was this rule followed?�.

If Clause 2 was indeed followed then there must be a record, he said and wondered whether RIMS authority can produce the record to show that this Clause was adhered to on the day of the examination.

Another interesting question raised by the candidate relates to the time of his entry to the examination hall.

�My watch told me the time was 11.14 am so did the wall clock inside the examination hall.

Moreover I was allowed to enter the examination hall by the security guards.

The explanation issued in a statement by the Media Advisor of RIMS and which was published in certain section of the media said that the time was 11.18 am when I arrived.

The question now is, according to whose watch should the time of the examination be decided,?� countered the candidate.

Clause 7 of the Direction says, �No candidate will be permitted to enter the hall after fifteen minutes of the starting of the examination hall.� This means that a candidate is given time to enter the examination hall and sit for the exam till 11.14 am, asserted the candidate.

Quality education is the call of many NGOs at the moment and PG courses in medical institutes are highly specialised fields dealing with human lives, opined the candidate and added that the RIMS PG MD/MS entrance examination needs to be conducted with the sanctity the courses demand.

It would be productive for the various NGOs which are trying to usher in quality education in the State to turn their attention to such entrance examination, he added.

Asserting he was quite confident of clearing the examination this time, the candidate recalled that he secured the 4th position in 2005 and in 2006 he secured the 10th position.

That I was turned away even after I had entered the examination hall has shattered me, he added.

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