Patna: A 53-year-old medical student in Bihar has finally got his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree after 21 years of constant struggle.
The degree was awarded to Dr Kapidldeo Chaudhary, a Dalit student, by the Darbhanga Medical College (DMC) on Monday.
He is the oldest student in the medical college having taken more than two decades to finish his course. He was admitted to the MBBS course in 1995.
“Yes, Dr Chaudhary has been awarded the degree after he cleared the paper concerned in supplementary examination this year and finished his MBBS course,” DMC principal Dr R.K. Sinha told journalists.
The award of the degree follows frequent suicide threats which he had made earlier this year, frustrated at his constant failures to clear the final year examination.
He hogged the headlines this February when sent many messages to the cell phone of his department head Dr B.K. Singh who heads the department of medicine.
“Sir, now I am 52. Please pass me. I want to become a doctor. I wanted to become a doctor and serve the nation. Therefore, I should be awarded pass marks in the paper. Otherwise, I will commit suicide”, he wrote in one of his messages.
His second message too served the suicide threats: “Good morning Sir … I have seen you for 21 years. No meeting now. Now you will see my dead body.” The messages were sent between January 31 and February 15 this year.
The authorities reacted promptly registering a complaint against Dr Chaudhary sensing trouble after the Rohith Vemula case in the Hyderabad University. As the matter reached the police, Dr Chaudhary gave an undertaking to the authorities concerned saying he will not end his life.
According to Dr Chaudhary, his prolonged poor health turned out to be the “spoiler”, not allowing him to concentrate on studies.
