The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) has commended the Punjab government for significantly increasing the quota of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT)-domiciled students in Punjab’s public sector medical and dental colleges for the academic year 2024-2025.
This progressive step addresses a critical concern for ICT students and reinforces the commitment to fairness and inclusion in medical education. The issue of ICT students’ admissions gained attention after a reduction in allocated seats was announced. Many students approached the PM&DC President regarding this issue. Therefore, President alerted the concerned heads and in response, the Punjab government reviewed an increase in the quota seats for ICT-domiciled students.
However, the recently announced admission policy for the 2024-25 session by the Punjab government, under Clause 11, restricts the quota for ICT-domiciled students to only three seats. Recognizing the potential impact of this reduction on students’ aspirations, PM&DC collaborated closely with the Ministry of Health NHSR&C, the Standing Committee on Health and other stakeholders. After a thorough review and consultation, the Punjab Government increased the quota from three to 30 seats.
Speaking on the development, PM&DC President, Prof. DrRizwanTaj stated that the increase in the quota seats reflects equitable access to education and highlights the importance of prioritizing student welfare. By increasing the quota for ICT students, we are developing a more inclusive and balanced approach to medical education, which benefits the entire nation.” The need for this has become evident due to the rapid increase in population observed over the past few years.
