IBA Sukkur to conduct MDCAT across Sindh under new admission policy

The Sindh Cabinet has approved a significant change in the medical and dental college admission process, assigning the responsibility of conducting the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) to the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Sukkur.

The decision, made during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, aims to implement a uniform admission policy across all medical and dental colleges in the province.

The policy will be applicable to both public and private sector institutions, while the Sindh Health Department will continue to oversee the overall regulation of admissions.

The move comes after reported irregularities in previous MDCAT exams. Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah stated that ensuring transparency and merit-based admissions remains a top priority for the provincial government.

IBA Sukkur had previously conducted the MDCAT retake exam in 2023 on the orders of the Sindh High Court. The exam saw participation from 38,684 candidates and was held simultaneously across six cities—Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, and Sukkur.

The test was conducted with coordination from local authorities and security agencies, including the FIA and Intelligence Bureau.

Currently, Sindh has 2,550 MBBS and 500 BDS seats in the public sector, while the private sector offers 1,441 MBBS and 2,025 BDS seats.