Court directs UHS to resolve MDCAT syllabus fiasco

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court recently directed the University of Health Sciences (UHS) to hear the point of view of the students and decide the dispute about the syllabus for National Medical & Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT).

Students filed a petition challenging abrupt changes to the syllabus of the admission test.

Petitioners' counsel Adeel Mumtaz argued that the new syllabus issued by the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) was against section 18 of its own law-Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) Act 2020.

He asked the court to direct the PMC to conduct the MDCAT according to the syllabus of UHS or common syllabus as previously announced by the commission or reasonable time be given to the petitioners to give the test as per the new course.

However, the counsel told the court that the petitioners would be satisfied and would not press the plea if the same be remitted to the UHS with a direction to decide the issue expeditiously as per the law.

Justice Jawad Hassan disposed of the petition and directed the UHS to afford a proper hearing to the petitioners and other stakeholders and decide the issue within one week strictly in accordance with the law.

In a related petition against the new regulations by the PMC, the judge provisionally allowed some private medical colleges to continue with the admission process of students for the session 2020-21 based on the previous prospectus at their own risk and cost.

The judge observed that there was a contradiction between the provisions of certain sections of the Act and the regulations as pointed out by the counsel for the petitioners and prima facie balance of convenience tilted in favour of the petitioners and the court was more conscious about the future of the students.

However, the judge said the admission process would not be finalised till the outcome of the petition and the petitioners shall also comply with all other requirements given in the Act in letter and spirit.

-MN Report