The National Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) results have been declared invalid by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker administration.
According to official sources, the decision of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will be discussed in detail with the media during a press briefing. However, Khyber Medical University (KMU) has been instructed to conduct the tests once more openly and transparently.
Cabinet selects to retake the MD CAT test
The MD CAT (Medical and Dental College Admission Test) will be administered again due to alleged anomalies, it was decided during a recent cabinet meeting. The test will be repeated in six months.
Caretaker Provincial Information Minister Feroz Jamal told the media at a press conference that serious steps had been taken in response to the accusations. Along with the arrest of 280 pupils, the primary suspect responsible for dispersing exam duplicates has been located. It has been sent to Islamabad for forensic examination of the Bluetooth devices used for cheating. There are still open investigations into the MD CAT fraud.
A committee has been formed by the cabinet to thoroughly investigate the MD CAT scam and make suggestions to stop cheating in the future.
Minister Jamal stressed that in addition to legal action being taken against the students implicated, legal action will also be taken against their parents. The retaken MD CAT exam will be given by Khyber Medical University.
Peshawar High Court Requests Clarification Regarding Test Cancellation
Khyber Medical University and the Executive Director of the Educational Testing Agency (ETA) have been asked by the Peshawar High Court to respond by Monday regarding the test’s cancellation. The hearing has been postponed until Tuesday by the court.
The provincial government has chosen to hold the exam again, and has scheduled it to happen again in six weeks, the advocate general informed the court. According to the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) have also been constituted in Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore, and Punjab to further look into the situation.
The prosecution’s attorney contended that only the test papers can be canceled, not the full exam, by the relevant laws and regulations. The petitioner’s attorney advised conducting an investigation and canceling the tests of only those who were directly involved in the alleged misbehavior.
Khyber Medical University and ETA have been ordered by the court to submit their reply by Monday. The Peshawar High Court will then deliberate on the matter and issue a ruling on Tuesday.
