The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) was founded by the far-sighted visionary, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya. It came into existence in 1916 as a residential university with the objective of imparting disciplined, constructive education and promoting research in a variety of subjects in arts, science, engineering, agriculture and medicine. Banaras Hindu University, one of the premier central universities of the country, has grown into a centre of learning in a vast range of subjects from agriculture to zoology, from archaeology to biotechnology and from engineering to medicine.

At present, the university comprises three institutes, 14 faculties, 114 departments, and four multidisciplinary schools, one of them being the School of Biotechnology.

The Institute of Medical Sciences, founded in 1960, now has 33 departments of modern medicine, including 10 departments of super-specialties and eight departments of ayurveda.

The Institute of Medical Sciences also offers postgraduate degrees in medicine, surgery as well as in various specialties, a bachelors degree in ayurveda and also short courses in the Indian system of medicine for foreign nationals. The Institute also provides research facilities for PhD scholars in the field of basic and life sciences. The research facilities at the Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Medicinal Chemistry and other laboratories are rated highly by national and international institutes.

The application form and the information booklet for the pre-medical test can be obtained on payment of Rs 1,000 (Rs 600 for SC/ST candidates) from any branch of the Bank of Baroda. To get the form by post, send a demand draft of Rs 1,060 (Rs 660 for SC/ST candidates) drawn in favour of “The Director, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU”, and payable at Varanasi, by registered post to the Office of the Director (PMT-Cell), Institute of Medical Sciences, Benaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi- 221005, UP. The last date for receipt of completed application forms is in the first week of March.

Eligibility

You should have a 50 per cent aggregate in Plus Two with English, physics, chemistry and biology as subjects. Candidates appearing for the qualifying examination may also apply. You should have completed 17 years but should not have crossed 25 years as on December 31, 2007.

Entrance exam

BHU holds an All India Competitive Written Test for admission to the MBBS course in two stages. The first stage is held in May at Varanasi, Delhi, Calcutta and Hyderabad, to screen candidates for eligibility to take the main pre-medical exam that is held in June at Varanasi.

Pattern of exam

Candidates have to answer two objective-type papers during the three-hour test. The first paper is on physics and chemistry while the next paper is on biology.

How to prepare

You can consult medical entrance guides by Parihar, Bhatia, Shivam and Vishal. Tutorials like Brilliants and Akash also help students prepare for this exam. To brush up biology, leaf through books on the subject by M.P. Kaushik and Ramesh Gupta. You can also refer to Physics 10 + 2 by H.C. Verma and Chemistry by O.P. Agarwal and Tata McGraw Hill publishers. Try answering question papers from earlier years within the three hours time limit to pick up speed. Be focused and manage your time efficiently, as your coverage of the subject has to be extensive.

sample test paper

Biology

What is common between
acetycholine, nor adrenaline and serotonin:
a) all are anti coagulant
b) all lower the blood pressure
c) all are neuro transmitters
d) none of the above

The tissue most sensitive and vulnerable to lack of oxygen in a human being is:
a) Heart; b) Kidney; c) Liver; d) Brain

Physics

Out of the following bodies with the same mass and the same radius, rotating with the same angular speed about their natural axes, the one having least kinetic energy is:
a) solid sphere
b) spherical shell
c) cylindrical shell
d) solid cylinder

Chemistry

Fluorine can be stored in a metal container, whereas other halogens cannot be because:
a) very low F – F bond dissociation enthalpy
b) fluorine does not react with metals
c) fluorine reacts with a metal to form a non-reactive metal fluoride film
(d) other halogens are more reactive towards metal