Peshawar: The Khyber Medical University (KMU) Employees Welfare Association on Tuesday strongly opposed a proposal to transfer the responsibility for conducting the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) back to the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA), urging the authorities to retain the existing system under KMU.
At a general body meeting held at Hafiz Ullah Auditorium, attended by Association President Prof Dr Inayat Shah, General Secretary Deputy Director Naveed Iqbal Khattak, office-bearers, faculty members, administrative officers and employees, participants expressed serious concern over the proposed transfer.
The participants said KMU had been conducting the MDCAT for the past three years in accordance with Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMandDC) directives, ensuring transparency, confidentiality, security and merit.
They said KMU had already made extensive arrangements for the test, initially scheduled for August 16 and later postponed to September 20. These included booking air-conditioned examination halls across the province, printing examination material, security arrangements and other logistical preparations, involving substantial expenditure.
The meeting recalled that MDCAT had previously been conducted through ETEA, but the responsibility was later assigned to KMU by PMandDC in accordance with court orders amid concerns over transparency and irregularities.
The participants maintained that KMU had successfully conducted the test for three consecutive years, with its examination arrangements receiving appreciation from PMandDC, the government, students and parents.
They said KMU, in coordination with the local administration, security agencies, FIA, intelligence agencies and other law-enforcement institutions, had put in place comprehensive security measures for printing, transportation and safe delivery of question papers to examination centres.
The Association warned that shifting the MDCAT back to ETEA could undermine the transparent and secure system established by KMU and adversely affect deserving and talented students.
It urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and relevant authorities to reconsider any proposal to withdraw the MDCAT from KMU and allow the university to continue conducting the examination through its existing merit-based and secure mechanism.
The Association also urged the authorities to consider the extensive preparations and expenditure already incurred by KMU for the September 20 examination, saying that retaining the existing system would help prevent uncertainty, inconvenience and additional financial burden on students and their parents.
