Dozens of aspirant doctors arrested for cheating in MDCAT

• VIP passes were issued to the candidates, say DI Khan police. 
• Hefty amount was received from students for cheating: sources.   
• Say the papers of "these candidates will be cancelled". 

Dozens of students were arrested for reportedly cheating via Bluetooth devices during the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) held on Sunday at different national and foreign venues.

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) conducted the MDCAT exam 2023 in different cities for 1,050 seats in medical and 350 in dental colleges.

At least 10 aspirant doctors were arrested in Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) and 43 candidates were taken into custody in Peshawar on the charges of cheating during the test for medical and dental colleges.

Surprisingly, all of the detainees were using Bluetooth for alleged cheating in tests. DI Khan police sources claimed that VIP passes were issued to the candidates. A hefty amount was received from each of the students for getting their papers solved, they added.

The police received reports that the MDCAT paper will be leaked via Bluetooth devices, the sources further said.

Meanwhile, 43 candidates — including 20 female students — were apprehended for cheating in the MDCAT in Peshawar. Police authorities said that Bluetooth devices were recovered from the candidates during the test. FIRs against the candidates were lodged at police station Sharqi, Faqirabad and Pahari Pura. Later the police released all the 43 candidates on personal surety. The students will be produced before the court on September 11, the police added.

KP chief secretary takes notice

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief secretary took notice of the matter and directed to cancel the papers of those candidates found involved in cheating via Bluetooth.

The chief secretary directed to trace the government official involved in the illegal means in the test and expose the network working behind it. He also asked the IT Board and higher education department to further improve their test strategy.

MDCAT examination held in 31 cities 

According to PMDC, MDCAT-2023 was a paper-based exam, held single day at national and international venues through provincial public admitting universities supervised by the body.

PMDC President Professor Dr Rizwan Taj said, “Students’ bright future is our top priority and PM&DC is working tirelessly to facilitate them.”

He apprised that a total 180,534 students from Pakistan appeared in the MDCAT exam. Moreover, a total registered 180,151 candidates appeared in national venues.

He added 382 candidates who appeared at two international centres 185 candidates in Dubai (UAE) and 197 candidates who appeared in Saudia Arabia (KSA).

He elaborated that in the province of Punjab 66,875, in Sindh 40,528, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 46439, in Balochistan 9,230, in Gilgit 926, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir 4,036 and in Islamabad 12,118 candidates appeared in the exams.

He said that the MDCAT examination was conducted in 31 cities all over Pakistan to facilitate the maximum number of candidates to appear in the exam.

These cities included Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Sialkot, DG Khan, Sargodha, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Karachi, Jamshoro, Dera Ismail Khan, Malakand, Nawabshah, Swat, Swabi, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, Abbottabad, Quetta, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Huripur, Larkana, Mansehra, and Mirpur.

He added that special assistance has also been provided to a few candidates who required help (with special needs or handicaps) to fill out answer sheets.

He said that it is the right of all students to fulfil their wishes and our responsibility is to help them fulfil their dreams.

He informed that to facilitate the candidates a simple examination marking pattern is kept and no negative marking will be done on wrong answers. "I wish all these students add value to the medical profession and the country."

The MDCAT results would be issued after around one week, a spokesperson of the Sindh Medical University said.