SC declares MDCAT mandatory for admission in medical colleges

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday declared the Medical and Dental Admission Test (MDCAT) mandatory for admissions to medical colleges across the country, ARY News reported.

The five-page judgment issued by Justice Shah stated that the admission to medical or dental programmes conducted by the public colleges should be regulated as per the policy of the provincial governments strictly on merit.

A three-member SC bench, comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, and Justice Munib Akhtar, had reserved the judgment on September 27.

Separately today, the Sindh cabinet decided to lower the passing percentage in MDCAT-2021 from 65 percent to 50 percent so that the candidates with less than 50 percent score may be considered as eligible for admission in Session 2021-2022.

The decision was taken in a Sindh cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here in Karachi.

“This decision would not only provide an opportunity to the provincial candidates to seek admission in medical and dental colleges/universities of Sindh but the seats which were going to be unfulfilled/vacant would be utilised,” CM Murad stated.