Amid complaints of irregularities in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), the Federal Ministry of Health has instructed the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to abolish the exam.
The Senate’s Standing Committee on Health also expressed concerns about the test and recommended replacing it with an international IT-based system starting next year, as advised by Prime Minister’s Coordinator Dr. Malik Mukhtar.
Dr. Mukhtar pointed out that powerful mafias have been attempting to influence the MDCAT for years, while preparation academies generate billions of rupees. He added that these academies play a significant role in manipulating the exam’s results.
Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Health, Amir Chishti, also called for the abolition of MDCAT, proposing the introduction of an online system modelled after the U.S. SAT or Cambridge format.
During a briefing to the Senate Committee, Dr. Mukhtar revealed that, according to the Intelligence Bureau, there was no evidence of a paper leak in this year’s MDCAT.
