Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University of Lucknow has requested the Medical Council of India (MCI) to grant degrees to its Scheduled Caste students, who have failed repeatedly to clear their final exams.

"As many as 68 students had appeared in the Physiology supplementary examination in October. Only 30 were declared passed. The failed students include those who have appeared five to eleven times in the previous first professional examinations. It may further be pointed out that for the above mentioned MBBS first professional examination, the university appointed all external examiners after due deliberations and on the request of the failed students. Still most of them failed," Prof. D.K. Gupta, vice-chancellor of the university, had written in a letter to the council on December 2.

The V-C pointed out that the university even conducted extra classes for the failed students. But still they couldn't clear the exam.

"Based on their previous performance, let the MCI allow the aforesaid students to pass the examination without taking any further tests, as they have failed repeatedly," Gupta wrote.

"My recommendation may appear strange but I want to get rid of the allegations of caste discrimination," Gupta said.