The incident comes after students’ protests in New Delhi and other parts of the country against the NEET question paper leak forced Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as Union Education Minister. (Representative File Photo)Allegations of malpractice surfaced during the medical postgraduate examinations conducted by the Odisha University of Health Sciences (OUHS) after photographs of the question paper were allegedly shared on WhatsApp groups during the course of the examination.The controversy erupted during the general surgery MD/MS paper for the 2023-26 batch held on July 27 across more than 20 subjects. The issue has triggered concerns among students across medical colleges in Odisha.The incident comes after students’ protests in New Delhi and other parts of the country against the NEET question paper leak forced Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as Union Education Minister.Officials said that the preliminary probe into the allegations revealed that the question paper was transmitted by someone from the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Odisha’s Berhampur minutes after it was distributed to the students. It was detected at a private medical college in Bhubaneswar.Speaking to The Indian Express, Harekrishna Dalai, dean of MKCG Medical College, said that even though it was not a “leak” of the question paper, the way the question paper was transmitted through a WhatsApp group was a matter of concern. He said an electronic gadget or app was used to circulate the question paper.“After the matter came to the fore, a meeting was held immediately at the level of OUHS Vice Chancellor through virtual mode to discuss the steps to be taken to plug the gap for the remaining examination. We will take all steps to avoid such situations in the days to come,” said Dalai.Only two papers of the medical PG examination conducted by the OUHS have been completed so far, while two more papers are remaining. “We will revamp the measures to make sure such incidents don’t recur,” Dalai added.Story continues below this adThe images of the question paper were allegedly circulated around 9.58 am, minutes after the papers were handed out to the students.The OUHS has launched an internal probe and directed medical colleges to take steps so that such allegations don’t arise in future, said officials.Sujit Bisoyi is a Special Correspondent with the Indian Express and covers Odisha. His interests are in politics, policy and people’s stories. He tweets at @bisoyisujit87 ... Read More