MDCAT to be held afresh in Sindh after cheating scandal

KARACHI: After unearthing a “cheating racket” and “massive irregularities”, the Sindh caretaker government has decided to re-conduct the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT).

MDCAT would be taken again, the spokesperson of the interim Sindh government said in a statement on Tuesday. In this regard, the provincial government has issued directives to the Dow University of Health Sciences.

Earlier, the inquiry report into the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) 2023 paper leak in Sindh was completed and action against culprits and conducting of examination again has been recommended.

The report found that the paper leak was a “criminal act” and that the culprits should be brought to justice.

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The inquiry team also recommended that the MDCAT 2023 exam be taken again to ensure that all students have a fair chance of admission to medical and dental colleges.

Separately, the caretaker Punjab government has revised the medical college admission policy for 2023 and allowed the University of Health Sciences (UHS) to make centralised admissions to public and private medical and dental colleges.

Earlier, the KP cabinet decided to retake the exam during a meeting on Thursday, chaired by caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan.

The test will be conducted within six weeks by Khyber Medical University, and not by Edu­cational Testing and Evaluation Agency, the provincial testing body.

Briefing the media after the meeting, caretaker Information Minister Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel said the cabinet had cancelled the test conducted on September 10.

He added that a committee would be formed for recommendations on how to thwart cheating during exams.

According to the minister, over 280 candidates, besides the alleged ringleader of the cheating racket and his brother, have been arrested.