According to The Express Tribune, the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has rejected an inquiry report into complaints about the MDCAT 2026 exam and directed the health ministry to carry out a fresh inquiry within one week. The move matters to the thousands of students seeking places in medical colleges.
PMDC says no irregularities
Officials of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) told the committee that no irregularities or anomalies had been found during the exam. The committee was not satisfied.
Objection to taking back question booklets
Members also raised concern over the PMDC's practice of collecting question booklets from candidates after the exam instead of letting them keep copies. They asked why the paper had not been made public, stressing that transparency in the question bank and exam process was essential to protect merit. PMDC officials said the booklets are collected to protect the question bank and stop future candidates gaining an unfair advantage, but the committee rejected that justification.
Policy for students going abroad
The committee also questioned the PMDC's recent policy requiring students who want to study medicine abroad to sit the MDCAT. According to the report, the policy was withdrawn after the committee intervened. The health ministry must now complete the new inquiry within a week and present its findings to the committee.