The Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) is scheduled to be held across Pakistan on 22 September. Scores of students are diligently preparing for this exam in pursuit of a future in the medical field. However, last year’s exam was marred by misconduct, leading to widespread suspicions among students. In the 2023 MDCAT, the genuine paper was circulating on various social media apps late at night. Reports indicated that a significant amount of graft was involved, distorting the dreams of thousands of students. As a result, the test had to be reconducted twice, yet the outcome remained the same. These heinous tactics have left students mentally disturbed, with rare cases of suicide surfacing as students become disillusioned with the system.

Fairness in exams must be ensured, as poor and middle-class students cannot afford the enormous demands of these mafias. The MDCAT, once regarded as one of the hardest exams in Pakistan, has now fallen into the hands of those who profit from it. Therefore, it is high time that the relevant authorities took prompt measures to ensure the fairness of the upcoming MDCAT. It is time to take precautionary steps.

WASEEM MURAD,

Hyderabad.