ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS) on Tuesday directed Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) to ensure smooth execution of the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) scheduled for Dec 30 in the federal capital, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and international venues including Dubai and Riyadh.

The meeting, held in the ministry, was presided over by Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani.

The chairman highlighted the significant public concerns regarding the MDCAT examination, which had caused widespread disappointment among students nationwide.

The committee emphasised the importance of conducting a transparent and fair examination on Dec 30 to address the grievances of students awaiting a just evaluation.

Students propose more balanced elective aggregate system for fresh students

Concerns regarding 30 out-of-syllabus questions, which undermined the efforts and diligent preparations of students, were also thoroughly deliberated upon.

A group of students including Afifa, Hamza Shahid, Mohammad Ilyas, Hania and others were also present there.

They demanded to provide question paper after the exam for transparency and accountability and same difficulty level as UHS Exam, suggesting it be aligned with fair and consistent standards. They proposed a more balanced elective aggregate system for fresh students.

Additionally, the committee members urged equitable allocation of seats, highlighting the need to address the limited number of seats available for students with ICT domicile.

The committee resolved to communicate with the Punjab government to review and ensure a balanced distribution of seats based on domicile. Furthermore, it was suggested that opportunities for examination be granted solely on merit and competency, irrespective of regional affiliations, to promote fairness and equal opportunity.

The committee was briefed on the recent developments and future course of action concerning MDCAT.

The SZABMU said out of 22,556 candidates registered for the test on Sept 22, over 8,600 had registered for the retake. The matter remains sub judice in the Islamabad High Court, and university authorities have assured foolproof arrangements for a smooth and transparent process. Teams from PMDC and the university will oversee the test.

It is worth mentioning here that to address challenges and improve MDCAT process, a reforms committee has been constituted, holding three meetings to date. Key recommendations include revising the MDCAT syllabus, developing a Q Bank from a common syllabus, restricting candidates to their domicile regions for the test, aligning MDCAT scheduling with intermediate result declarations, and implementing centralised oversight through a single committee responsible for drafting the paper and ensuring transparency and reducing human errors using IT-based solutions.

These measures aim to enhance the integrity and effectiveness of the MDCAT process.

The meeting was attended by MNAs including Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, Zehra Wadood Fatemi, Farah Naz Akbar, Dr Shaista Khan, Dr Darshan, Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Sabheen Ghoury, Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Ms Farrukh Khan, Dr Amjad Ali Khan, Dr Azimuddin Zahid Lakhvi, Mohammad Shabbir Ali Qureshi and Aliya Kamran.

Prominent officials, including vice chancellor Dr Tariq Iqbal and registrar of SZABMU, senior representatives from the health ministry and the PMDC chairman, Dr Rizwan Taj, and the registrar Shaista Faisal also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2024