KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday dismissed the petition of students to postpone the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2020 scheduled for November 29, 2020.

A division bench of SHC in a written order dismissed the petition, filed by the students seeking to delay the MDCAT slated for November 29 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The students requested the court to order authorities concerned to reschedule the test because of the growing number of coronavirus positive cases in the country.

A division bench of the SHC directed the PMC to ensure all SOPs in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic prescribed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the federal as well as provincial health authorities are strictly followed in letter and spirit by students, invigilators and all persons/staff present at examination centres.

In its decision, the court stressed that students should strictly adhere to the government's coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the examination halls, stating that the test will be held per schedule.

It may be recalled that court had disposed of plea seeking contempt of court proceedings against the PMC over its decision to hold the MDCAT exam on November 29 few days back.

The petitioner was seeking contempt charges against the PMC for announcing the exam date without forming the academic board as ordered by the high court earlier.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020