Admission to medical, professional colleges: government committee for ending entry test in Punjab

The Examination and Admission Reforms Committee constituted by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has, after intermediate examination, recommended to the Chief Minister for ending entry test for admission in medical colleges and other professional institutions. The Chief Minister after holding public parley about the entry test will give final decision in this regard.
The meeting of the Examination and Admission Reforms Committee was held under the chairmanship of Punjab Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan in which majority of the participants were of the view that male and female students belonging to urban and rural areas of the province should be provided level playfield for getting admission in professional colleges and universities.
Rana Mashhood said that 20 years ago, when the entry test was introduced, 'booti mafia' was very active in various educational boards of the province and the performance of educational boards was a big question mark but during the last six years, the Punjab government has taken such effective steps as a result of which eight educational boards of the province have been brought at par with regard to transparency. He said that 'booti mafia' has been eliminated and reforms have been enforced in examination system under which answer-sheets are sent to various boards under secret role number and the examination of same kind is being taken in all educational boards from a pool comprising examination questions. Due to this procedure, the system of educational boards has improved and getting more marks through learning by rote has discouraged. He said that in this situation, it was not appropriate to put burden of additional expenses on parents of students for taking examination again through the entry test. Therefore, recommendation is being sent to the Chief Minister of Punjab for ending the entry test from next academic session. The meeting decided that representation will also be given to private educational institutions in the Board of Governors of intermediate and secondary education boards. The meeting also recommended to granting permission for starting again taking practical examination with the condition that the examiner should not be allowed to take marking sheets based on answers of three written questions of practical to home.
Secretary of Punjab Higher Education Department Abdullah Khan Sumbal, Secretary of Schools Education Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, Chairman of Punjab Examination Commission Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi, Vice Chancellor of University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Lieutenant General Muhammad Akram Khan (retired), Pro-Vice Chancellor of University of Health Sciences Dr Junaid Qureshi, Deputy Secretary Higher Education Irtaza Naqvi, Chairman of Boards Committee of Chairmen Dr Nasrullah Virk, representatives of Pakistan Engineering Council and PMDC attended the meeting.