KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court (SHC) has said that setting admission criteria for medical colleges, including minimum marks for the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT), falls within the domain of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).
The Provincial High Court issued the order after rejecting a petition to reduce the minimum admission marks for MBBS and BDS programmes.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel argued that the minimum requirement of 55% for MBBS and 50% for BDS had resulted in a large number of seats lying vacant due to strict criteria.
It was further argued that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University had recommended lowering the minimum marks to 45% for MBBS and 40% for BDS. The PMDC lawyer, however, argued that the admission policy and merit standards were fixed under the authority of the board.
He informed the court that 14,300 candidates from Sindh secured the required marks, which is significantly higher than the total 4,400 seats available. He added that all seats in government medical colleges had already been filled while 284 seats in private colleges remained vacant due to high tuition fees.
The court said that under the law, the PMDC has the power to determine the admission policy and standards.
He noted that medical education is a “sacred profession” and merit cannot be compromised. The Sindh government also opposed any reduction in merit.
The bench noted that even the Supreme Court has ruled that merit cannot be reduced merely to fill vacant seats. He added that the solution to vacant seats lies not in reducing standards but in accommodating meritorious students.
The court pointed out that under the Sindh Private Educational Institutions Rules, 2005, private institutions are required to provide free education to at least 10% of students, a provision which is not enforced.
He further ordered that the PMDC should announce the admission policy and schedule in advance every year, and no changes should be made thereafter.
He also advised the Sindh government to formulate a comprehensive policy in consultation with the PMDC to address vacant seats, while private medical colleges have been directed to provide free education to at least 10 per cent of students. The court then denied the motion.
