ISLAMABAD: While around 170,000 candidates are expected to appear in the Medical and Dental Colleges’ Admission Test (MDCAT) on Sunday (tomorrow), the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has requested the district administrations to enforce Section 144 to ensure a secure and transparent examination process nationwide.

All concerned quarters, including government authorities and security agencies, have been involved so that the exam is conducted in a foolproof manner and its secrecy and transparency is maintained.

The PMDC has also directed all involved institutions to carry out strict vigilance during the examination process to avoid malpractice, cheating or mishaps.

According to an official statement, PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj held a meeting with vice chancellors of the public universities authorised to conduct the entry test.

Preparations finalised for entry test of medical colleges in which around 170,000 are expected to sit

The vice chancellors included Prof A.W. Rathore, University of Health Sciences Lahore; Prof Dr Saeed Qureshi, Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi; Prof Dr Ziaul Haq, Kyber Medical University Peshawar; Prof Dr Tariq Iqbal, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University Islamabad; and Zafarullah, registrar Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences Quetta.

“University authorities apprised the PMDC regarding the preparations for the examination. They apprised that the exam is being conducted in 30 cities and two international centers Riyad and Dubai,” said the PMDC statement.

They said admit cards had been issued and all preparations put in place with codal formalities. All concerned quarters, including government authorities and security agencies, have been involved so that the exam is conducted in a foolproof manner and its secrecy and transparency is maintained.

Dr Taj stressed the importance of maintaining transparency and fairness in MDCAT, which is a crucial step in selecting future medical and dental professionals. To this end, the PMDC has directed all involved institutions to carry out strict vigilance during the examination process to avoid malpractice, cheating, or mishaps.

The PMDC has requested the authorities to enforce Section 144 to ensure a secure and transparent examination process nationwide. This law prohibits public gatherings and the use of electronic devices, aiming to prevent cheating and disruptions.

Furthermore, key directives issued by the PMDC include comprehensive candidate verification and identification procedures, the deployment of invigilators and monitoring teams to uphold examination standards, use of modern surveillance technology to monitor exam centres and deter malpractice, and implementation of tamper-proof systems to ensure secure handling of exam materials. Additionally, universities have been instructed to take appropriate action against any individual found to be engaging in cheating or other dishonest practices during the exam.

The president PMDC in the meeting emphasised the importance of the examination in ensuring only the most qualified and deserving candidates are selected for medical and dental education in Pakistan. In order to maintain standards of medical and dental education system, the PMDC called on all stakeholders to collaborate in ensuring a smooth and successful MDCAT exam.

It is worth mentioning that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University has set up 33 centres, University of Health Sciences (UHS) 26 centres, Khyber Medical University (KMU) 13 and Dow University of Health Sciences six centres.

Dr Taj stated that a total of 167,744 students had been registered for MDCAT. The breakdown of candidates in the provinces is: Punjab 58,380 students, Sindh 38,678, KP 42,329, Balochistan 5,806, ICT 18,408, AJK 3,145, Gilgit-Baltistan 739, and 259 international students.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2024