MDCAT 2023: SHC seeks reply from Centre, Sindh govt

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has sought reply from the Centre and the Sindh government in the Medical & Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2023 case, ARY News reported on Monday.

The SHC conducted the hearing of a petition challenging the Sindh government’s decision to conduct the MDCAT exams again after an inquiry into the alleged paper leak.

The Sindh government’s lawyer apprised the SHC judge that the MDCAT exams will be conducted again in light of the recommendations by the inquiry committee.

Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi remarked that case should be lodged against the perpetrator who leaked the paper. He observed that cases would also be filed on the accused students. He added that the court could not disturb 40,000 students due to seven petitioners.

Later, the high court issued notices to the Centre and the provincial government.

The petition stated that the MDCAT exams will be organised at Dow University of Health Sciences instead of Jinnah Sindh Medical University.

The judge also ordered to provide copies of the case record to the lawyers. The hearing was adjourned till November 1.

Earlier in the month, Caretaker Sindh Health Minister Saad Khalid Niaz had announced the date for Medical and Dental College admission tests (MDCAT) 2023 after the earlier results in the province were cancelled following an alleged examination paper leak.

Saad Khalid confirmed the findings of an investigation committee, which unequivocally established that the MDCAT 2023 paper was indeed leaked. “We have decided to reconduct the examination after seeing the report,” he added.

The minister informed that he has recommended to hand over the responsibility for overseeing the inquiry to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

He disclosed that the leaked MDCAT paper had a direct impact on the candidates’ scores, preventing them from achieving higher or full marks. “The reexamination would take place on November 19,” he announced.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh government decided to conduct the medical colleges’ entry tests – MDCAT – again and cancel the old results of the Medical and Dental College admission tests.