Upon the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has agreed to allow and facilitate a visually handicapped medical student, Mr. Anka Toppo to appear for MBBS final examination. Mr. Toppo was denied permission for appearance in the final professional examination of the MBBS after he lost his sight due to Eale’s disease.

Mr. Anka Toppo approached the Commission after he was allegedly denied permission for appearance for the final MBBS examination in May 2001 for “want of approval of guidelines” from the Medical Council of India (MCI) as his was the first such case of this kind. He has also alleged harassment by the faculty and misinformation to concerned authorities to prevent him from writing the final examination even after he had mastered reading normal books with the help of a computer and a scanner.

Earlier, Mr. Toppo had been selected for MBBS course at the AIIMS in 1989. He passed the first and second professional examinations and was to appear in the final examination in December 1993. But barely two months before the final examination, he lost his sight.

On the advice of the Commission, the authorities at the AIIMS discussed the matter with some of its former Directors and Deans. They were of the opinion that in view of the severe visual loss suffered by Mr. Toppo, it would not be possible for him to work in medical profession. The authorities however informed the Commission that it could grant Mr. Toppo a degree in Human Biology and also help him to get an employment at the AIIMS. Mr. Toppo, however, insisted on pursuing his medical career despite visual disability. The Deputy Commissioner for Persons with Disability, Institute for the Physically Handicapped, Delhi, Ms. Anuradha Mohit appeared before the Commission on behalf of the petitioner and referred to the provisions of Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights & Full Participation) Act, 1995 which now has statutory provisions for enabling persons with disabilities of any kind to be provided with equal opportunity in all matters including acquisition of knowledge and employment, and was thus pertinent in this case.

Mr. Toppo brought to the notice of the Commission that his case was not the first of its kind, one Dr. Parameswarappa of Karnataka had been allowed to complete his MBBS under similar circumstances in 1977 by the Bangalore Medical College. Dr. Parameswarappa continues to be associated with the Department of Pharmacology of the Bangalore Medical College since the last 20 years. The Commission had also viewed the story on him, done by a TV Channel some time back.

The Commission then asked the authorities at the AIIMS to examine whether the methods adopted for examining Dr. Parameswarappa could be applied in the case of Anka Toppo, especially, when he claimed to have learnt reading normal textbooks. The Commission also arranged a meeting between Dr. Y.G. Parameswarappa and the Director of AIIMS, to help the latter ascertain the factual position as to how could Dr. Parameswarappa managed to take the final examination of MBBS inspite of being visually handicapped. Dr. Parameswarappa had been provided with a “writer” to assist him during theory papers. He was also allowed to complete his internship with the help of an assistant

Finally, in May 2001, the authorities at the AIIMS, apprised the Commission that they were of the opinion that it was possible to examine the petitioner, Shri Toppo, for the MBBS course inspite of his disability by offering a modified methodology of examination. The Director, AIIMS, also informed the Commission that he was taking steps to examine Shri Toppo for the final MBBS examination at the earliest and the latter would be kept informed for the same. Further, in the light of the experience of this case, an exercise has been undertaken in the Institute to work out a methodology, which could be adopted in all similar cases in future so that there was a system in position which could be practiced each time such a situation arose. A Committee of experts was being constituted for the purpose and the entire exercise would require about three months to be in place. The Commission has placed on record its appreciation of the efforts made by the Director, AIIMS and his colleagues.

The Commission also feels that the Medical Council of India should perform a similar exercise so that the same facility and system is available in other medical institutions of the country as well.