The Sindh High Court on Saturday ordered a re-conduct of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) to be held within four weeks.
This decision was made during a hearing of petitions challenging alleged irregularities in the MD CAT, which was previously conducted on September 22 by Dow University of Health Sciences.
During the proceedings, the court observed that a committee had been formed during a previous hearing and questioned its productivity. The chairperson of the committee, Sheerin Narijo, presented a report indicating that the primary responsibility lay with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and Dow University.
The court stated that if the report found no irregularities, it would hear the petitioners. The petitioners, led by Mohammad Shabbir Ahmed, requested the court to declare the exam null and void and order a retake due to allegations of a leaked question paper and cheating.
According to Geo News, Sheerin Narijo further said that the committee reviewed Dow University’s examination system and collected statements from students, some of whom were not in favor of a retest. She mentioned that many gaps were discovered in the examination process, with around 40 to 42 individuals involved in it.
The court questioned whether there was a leak of MDCAT examination papers, to which Sheerin responded that answers and various questions had circulated on WhatsApp.
The court also asked about the role of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the matter, seeking clarity on any investigations or arrests made.
FIA officials informed the court that the mobile phones of individuals involved in the examination process were being forensically analyzed, revealing evidence of recovered deleted messages.
When asked about the status of investigations regarding Jinnah Sindh Medical University, the FIA confirmed that those inquiries would conclude shortly. Justice Salahuddin Panhwar highlighted the importance of ensuring that no one’s rights were violated and urged the government and FIA to continue their investigations to uncover any recklessness.
The committee member also acknowledged that the university’s strengths and weaknesses increased the risk of compromise in the system. The court questioned about Dow University’s ability to conduct the exam effectively, to which the committee member responded that exam questions had been slightly modified from previous tests.
The court expressed shock upon learning that college professors were responsible for creating the exam questions, prompting further inquiries into the legitimacy of the process. Justice Panhwar challenged the PMDC’s lawyer about their role and also questioned the integrity of results from other boards, emphasizing the need for transparency.
The PMDC lawyer also confirmed that the provincial government was responsible for conducting the MDCAT exam.
The court further discussed the issues facing 2,100 students who scored above 185 marks, raising concerns about fairness in the event of a re-examination.
The PMDC representative also suggested that only this year’s results should be considered valid, but the court raised concerns about the potential for decreased percentages in future exams. The court presented options for re-examination or equal opportunities for all students regarding validation matters.
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