RAWALPINDI, Feb 15: The Punjab health department has warned the principals of medical colleges in the province against causing unrest and misunderstandings among students by raising controversial issues , sources told this reporter on Sunday.

This warning comes in the wake of a resolution passed by the Rawalpindi Medical College's academic council which called for changing the examination system of the University of Health Sciences.

A letter sent to the principals of medical colleges in the province stated it had come to the notice of the health department that certain questions had been raised regarding process of marking, checking of theory papers and internal assessment by some principals either directly or through resolutions of academic council. This move created unrest among the medical students, it added.

About the demand of the academic council for changes in the examination system, the health department observed that it was the exclusive privilege of the examining body to lay down the policy for examining the students both in theory and practical exams.

It is, therefore, the prerogative of the UHS to decide and follow examination procedures according to its policies and practices, the letter said. The decision regarding the resolution by RMC's academic council is based on the verdict given by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

The PMDC had observed that it was entirely the discretion of examining body (UHS) to lay down the policy regarding assessment of the theory paper and practical examination.

Rejecting the allegation by some of the members of RMC's academic council that the UHS's examination system was in violation of the PMDC rules, the health department said the council had not made any regulations regarding the marking of papers, therefore, the question of violation of the PMDC rules did not arise at all.

Meanwhile, the PMDC had communicated to the health department that it had not made any rules regarding the marking system of theory papers and affixing of fictitious roll numbers to the scripts of the students in professional examinations conducted by different universities in the country.

The controversy had started following the poor results of the RMC students in one of the professional exams conducted by the UHS. The university had stopped some of the students from taking further exams till they clear their failed subjects. This resulted in strike by the students.

The college's academic council, in its meeting held to review the situation on January 30, demanded review of the examination system adopted by the university, especially the practice of issuance of fictitious roll numbers at the time of assessment of students' answer scripts.