Shifting blame: The case of a leaked entry test

Neither KMDC nor IoBM are taking responsibility for the divulging of KMDC's entrance exam


Our Correspondent November 01, 2015
Neither KMDC nor IoBM are taking responsibility for the divulging of KMDC's entrance exam. PHOTO: EXPRESS

KARACHI: The question paper for the Karachi Medical and Dental College (KMDC) entry test, which was to be conducted at the Institute of Business Management (IoBM) on Sunday morning, was leaked through Whatsapp on Saturday night. However, the managements of both varsities kept shifting the blame on each other.

The test was held on the scheduled date and timing and was conducted for admissions on 250 seats for the MBBS degree and for 100 seats for the BDS degree at the KMDC.

When contacted by The Express Tribune, the principal of KMDC, Prof Nargis Anjum, refused to comment and said the administration of IoBM should be contacted for information, since they prepared the entry test and made all the arrangements to conduct the test. She refused to share any information about the total number of the students who appeared for the test.

The IoBM spokesperson, Pervez Jamil, said the information was just a rumor, later terming it a misunderstanding. Speaking about the leaked pictures, Jamil said he did not know which papers were leaked. He assured, however, that the snapshots being circulated were not of the question paper that was given to the students on Sunday.

"We have been conducting the KMDC entry test over the past several years and this year too, we have conducted the entry exam successfully," he claimed. Jamil added that his university not only prepares the paper, but also makes seating arrangements for the students appearing in the test, as well as for their guardians who accompany them.

Last night, after reports of the leaked questioned paper surfaced on social media, Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) metropolitan commissioner Sami Siddiqui made an announcement regarding the cancellation of the test on Sunday and its rescheduling to next week. However, on the assurance of IoBM's administration, the decision to postpone the test was taken back.  "The university officials contacted me and assured me that the leaked question paper won't be circulated among the students during the exam," said Siddiqui.



Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad Khan also took notice of the incident and ordered the concerned authorities to hold the entry test according to schedule. "More than 4,000 students had registered for the KMDC entry test and we cannot put them under stress," he was quoted as saying. He also directed the IoBM administration to ensure transparency in the testing process and order an inquiry into the matter. However, no inquiry has been made.

KMC's health director Salma Kausar said from next year, the entry test would not be held at IoBM. According to Kausar, last year the paper was leaked through social media but the administration controlled the matter.

One of the students who appeared for the exam, Iqra Saleem, said she had received the pictures of the alleged question paper at around 9pm on Saturday night. "One of my class fellows had sent me the pictures," she claimed. However, she said that the one given to them at IoBM was different and much easier than the one that was leaked.

Another student, Hamza Shah, also claimed to having received the question paper on Saturday night. "The paper was circulating among all of my college mates," he told The Express Tribune. He said one of his friends had received the pictures from his cousin, after which it went viral among the college students.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2015.

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