HYDERABAD: Sindh High Court (SHC) recently sent notification to Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC), Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU), Larkana, and others on a joint plea submitted by nine students over alleged violation of PMC criteria for admission to medical and dental colleges.
Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Omar Sial of SHC Hyderabad circuit issued notices to Registrar PMC, Vice-Chancellor SMBBMU, Secretary federal health, Secretary School Education and Literacy, Karachi over the joint petition filed by nine students against alleged violation of PMC criteria for admission to medical colleges.
The petitioners said that the PMC directed medical universities colleges through a public notice dated Jan 11, 2021, that at the time of calculating merit for admission, they must ensure that for A-Level, FSc or any equivalent HSSC qualification results, only marks obtained in elective subjects must be counted and any grace marks added to the overall marks must not be considered by any provincial authority.
They said that the marks certificates were issued by the education department without following the PMC directions, and grace marks were added erroneously above the percentage mentioned in the notifications.
The petitioners said they had qualified for the test in their second attempt, and calculation of grace marks added/granted to students of intermediate (FSc/HSC-II) for the merit of admissions would cause an irrevocable loss to them, and they would face discrimination.
They asked the court to declare consideration of grace marks for merit in 2021-22 medical and dental college admissions illegal, unlawful and contrary to the PMC instructions. They hoped that the Sindh Education department should be restrained from adding grace marks to calculate merits for 2021-22 admissions. They urged that the respondent education department be directed to strictly follow the instructions/directions issued by the PMC concerning merit in MBBS admission.