Justice for MDCAT aspirants urged

NA panel wants fair, transparent exam conducted on Dec 30

Listen to article

ISLAMABAD:

The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Tuesday said it was important to conduct a transparent and fair examination on December 30 to address the grievances of students awaiting a just evaluation.

A meeting of the NA body was held under the chairmanship of Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani.

The committee thoroughly deliberated over the concerns regarding 30 out-of-syllabus questions, which undermined the efforts and diligent preparations of students.

The chairman pointed out the public concerns regarding the MDCAT examination, which has caused widespread disappointment among students nationwide.

The committee stressed the importance of conducting a transparent and fair examination on December 30 to address the grievances of students awaiting a just evaluation.

The issue of examination fees remains sub judice, with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) yet to decide whether the cost should be borne by the students or by PM&DC.

The committee further recommended that sufficient preparation time be provided to intermediate students, with the MDCAT scheduled immediately after the announcement of intermediate results.

Moreover, the committee members urged equitable allocation of seats, saying that there was a need to address the limited number of seats available for students with ICT domicile.

The committee resolved to communicate with the Punjab government to review and ensure a balanced distribution of seats based on domicile. Furthermore, it was suggested that opportunities for examination be granted solely on merit and competency, irrespective of regional affiliations, to promote fairness and equal opportunity.

The committee was briefed on the recent developments and future course of action concerning the MDCAT.

Meanwhile, the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), Islamabad, is scheduled to re-conduct the MDCAT on December 30 for candidates from AJK, G-B, ICT and international venues, including Dubai and Riyadh.

Out of 22,556 candidates registered for the test on 22nd September 2024, over 8,600 have registered for the retake. The matter remains sub-judice in the IHC, and university authorities have assured foolproof arrangements for a smooth and transparent process.

Teams from PM&DC and the university will oversee the test.

IBA Sukkur conducted a retake on 8th December 2024 across seven centres in five divisions of Sindh, with 32,208 candidates (83.26%) appearing from the total 38,684 registered. Of these, 13,718 (35.46%) were declared eligible for MBBS and 16,072 (41.54%) for the BDS program.