Young medical aspirants in Sindh have taken to the streets to express their concerns over an alleged leak of the entrance examination papers for medical and dental colleges. The students argue that this breach severely undermines the principles of a fair and merit-based selection process, leading them to demand a re-administration of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT).
The controversy has led to tensions between the Education and Evaluation Testing Agency (ETEA) and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). The PMDC’s proposal to grant grace marks to all MDCAT candidates if 90 percent of them fail to answer questions correctly has sparked outrage among students and parents alike.
ETEA, representing Khyber Medical University (KMU), has submitted a dissenting viewpoint to PMDC, contending that this policy unfairly disadvantages the top 10 percent of students who answered the questions correctly. They emphasize the crucial need for justice to avoid penalizing the high-achieving minority of students.
Moreover, ETEA has called upon regional commissioners and authorities to crack down on individuals involved in selling advance access to MDCAT questions, urging candidates to report any such illicit activities.
This controversy has not only ignited impassioned protests but has also inflicted significant financial losses of Rs. 23 million on ETEA due to the rescheduling of MDCAT from August 27th to September 10th. Government officials in Peshawar have openly criticized PMDC’s grace marks formula, branding it as “illogical and irresponsible.”
With legal challenges looming on the horizon, some determined students and parents have vowed to take the matter to court should this policy be implemented, in their quest for a just and equitable admissions process. This incident underscores the importance of maintaining the integrity of examination processes and the need for transparency in decision-making within educational institutions.
