Action plan for re-holding MDCAT approved

PESHAWAR: A meeting on Saturday took stock of preparations and arrangements being made to re-conduct the Medical and Dental College Admission Tests (MDCAT) and approved the proposed action plan of Khyber Medical University for re-holding the tests.

A handout said that Caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan chaired the meeting that reviewed the proposed action plan of Khyber Medical University Peshawar for re-holding the tests.

It decided to have foolproof arrangements to ensure that the test was held in a transparent manner in all respects.

Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Dr Riaz Anwar, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Additional Chief Secretary Home Abid Majeed, administrative secretaries of concerned departments, the vice-chancellor of the Khyber Medical University, high-ups of police and intelligence agencies and others attended the meeting. The divisional commissioners also attended it via a video link.

The meeting approved the proposed action plan of Khyber Medical University for re-holding the tests, and decided to constitute a committee to be headed by Additional Chief Secretary Home with the purpose to implement the action plan in letter and spirit. It was decided to assign special tasks to police, district administration, intelligence agencies and other departments for holding the MDCAT with utmost transparency.

The chief minister stressed the need for foolproof arrangements for holding the tests in a transparent manner, and directed all the authorities to prevent cheating during the MDCAT.

Azam Khan said the provincial government would extend security, financial, administrative and technical support for holding the MDCAT.

The meeting was told that MDCAT would be held on November 26 for which examination centres would be set up in Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Peshawar, Mardan, Lower Dir, Swat and Abbottabad.

The meeting was informed that a total of 46,220 registered candidates would participate in MDCAT whereas 219 candidates found involved in cheating during the previous test had been blacklisted.