KMU to re-conduct MDCAT on November 26

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Medical University (KMU) is going to re-conduct the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) on November 26, for which the university has made all arrangements.

The government had cancelled the entrance test and announced re-conducting it after a mega scam was unearthed by the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA). ETEA had recovered Bluetooth devices from 219 students during the entrance test and delivered them to the police.

Also, ETEA had traced all members of the scam including the ringleader. KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry had taken notice of the scam and ordered a high-level investigation through the Joint Investigation Committee (JIT). Nobody, however, was informed about the outcome of the JIT.

The KMU and KP government, however, declared all 219 candidates disqualified for two consecutive years from appearing in the MDCAT.

KMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Ziaul Haq said the entrance test for admission to the public and private medical and dental colleges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be held simultaneously in two cities of the province.

The KP government, Peshawar High Court and Pakistan Medical and Dental Commission tasked KMU with re-conducting the MDCAT examination.

According to the vice-chancellor, necessary help has been taken from the police, Federal Investigation Agency, Intelligence Bureau and other security agencies to hold the examination in a transparent manner.

Dr Ziaul Haq said that a total 46,439 candidates had registered to appear in the test. He said the 219 candidates blacklisted by ETEA for cheating and using the Bluetooth devices would not be able to take the entrance exam.

The vice-chancellor said that parents had been advised to avoid any illegal approach and not ruin the future of their children. He said that full arrangements had been made for the fair and transparent conduct of the test. Details instructions will be issued soon.

He said that walk-through gates, signal jammers and metal detectors would be installed at the entry points of all the centres and full body search of the candidates will be conducted.

Dr Ziaul Haq said that a zero tolerance policy would be followed for the use of unfair means including carrying mobile phones and other electronic devices to the hall.

He said that any candidate caught with any electronic accessories or any unfair means in the examination hall would be handed over to the police.

He added that an FIR will be lodged against them and the paper would be automatically canceled, their accessories will be confiscated and will be banned from future tests.