The Sindh government has proposed a new date for the retake of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT). The announcement was made by the interim Health Minister, Dr. Saad Khalid Niaz, who revealed that November 19 has been suggested to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) as the suitable date for the re-conducting of the exam. This proposal has also been supported by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
This decision comes in the wake of a controversy surrounding the MDCAT conducted by Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) on September 10. The test had leaked hours before it was due to begin, causing significant inconvenience to students and their parents. In response to this incident, the Sindh government constituted a committee to investigate the matter.
Sindh Proposes New Date for Retake of MDCAT 2023
Upon completion of its investigation, the committee recommended that the test be re-conducted. Acting on this recommendation, the caretaker Chief Minister ordered the reorganization of the exam through Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS). It is important to note that no additional fee will be charged from students for the retake of the exam.
Dr. Saad Khalid Niaz expressed his apologies to the students and their parents for the inconvenience caused by the recent controversy. He also assured that strict action would be taken against everyone involved in the paper leak, including potentially the vice chancellor of JSMU. Further action will be determined once a detailed report from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is received. The agency is currently tasked with uncovering specific actionable information related to the incident.
The inquiry committee also highlighted shortcomings in the performance of JSMU during the initial conduct of the MDCAT. These findings will likely lead to improvements in the administration of the exam to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
