Delhi medical colleges asked to record viva exam of girl students taken by male faculties

NEW DELHI: To ensure the safety of girl students in medical colleges, the health department of Delhi has asked the institution heads to check if the installed CCTV cameras are working properly, make CCTV arrangements in relevant areas, and deploy female observers for viva-voces of girl students till there’s a system to record the viva exam taken by male observers.

In a letter to the MS, MDs, deans, directors, and principals of medical colleges and hospitals, the department of health and family welfare directed them to take measures to ensure the safety of girl students. The directions come after a professor of a medical college was recently accused of harassing female MBBS students.

“All the MS/MD/dean/director and principal of hospitals and medical colleges under GNCTD are hereby directed to ensure that all the CCTV cameras installed in the hospitals/medical colleges are functioning all the time and the video feed are stored safely,” the special secretary of the department said in the letter.

The health department further asked the colleges to make CCTV provisions immediately to cover all necessary areas in the premises for the safety and security of girl students. The medical colleges have been given a week’s time to make a proper arrangement of audio and video recording of viva voces of all female students taken by the male observers.

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The Delhi government's vigilance directorate had asked the health department to send a proposal for initiating action against the professor. A 22-year-old MBBS student alleged that her professor "sexually harassed" her during a viva examination, as per a PTI report. In a written communication to the secretary of health and family welfare department, the directorate cited media reports about the incident.