KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court (SHC) has declared that setting admission criteria for medical colleges, including minimum marks for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), falls within the domain of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).
The provincial high court issued this order as it dismissed a petition seeking reduction in the minimum marks for admission to the MBBS and the BDS programmes.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel argued that the minimum requirement of 55% marks for the MBBS and 50% for the BDS had resulted in a large number of vacant seats due to strict criteria.
It was further submitted that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University had recommended lowering the minimum marks to 45% for the MBBS and 40% for the BDS. The PMDC’s counsel, however, maintained that the admission policy and merit standards had been set under the council’s authority.
He informed the court that 14,300 candidates in Sindh had secured the required marks, which is significantly higher than the total 4,400 available seats. He added that all seats in public medical colleges had already been filled while 284 seats in private colleges remained vacant due to high fees.
The court said under the law, the PMDC has the authority to determine admission policy and standards.
It remarked 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 lowered merely to fill vacant seats. It added that the solution to vacant seats lies not in reducing standards but in facilitating deserving 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 that is not being implemented.
It further directed that the PMDC should announce admission policy and schedule in advance every year, and no changes should be made afterward.
It also advised the Sindh government to formulate a comprehensive policy in consultation with the PMDC to address vacant seats while private medical colleges were directed to ensure free education for least 10% students. The court later dismissed the petition.
