#DelayMDCAT2020First trends as students urge govt to delay exams amidst rising corona cases

The medical student community of Pakistan has been in a state of disarray ever since the students’ petition to postpone the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2020 (originally scheduled for November 29) in the wake of rising coronavirus cases across Pakistan was rejected earlier today.

Caught between the stress of the looming examinations and the impact that COVID-19 is having on them and their families, the affected students have taken to Twitter to call out the government for its brazen lack of concern and urge it to delay the examinations.

While the government has taken steps to ensure that SOPs are followed strictly amidst the second wave of coronavirus cases in the country and has even proceeded to ban public gatherings and close down educational institutions, it has bafflingly refused to postpone the upcoming MDCAT despite the fact that it will feature a gathering of potentially thousands of students.

The rationale appears to be that as long as SOPs are followed within the exam halls, students have nothing to worry about. However, the clearly agitated student body does not view it the situation that way.

Such is the uproar that #DelayMDCAT2020First is currently trending on Twitter with over 155k tweets. Here is how students and activists have reacted on Twitter.

Some of them have made no secret of expressing their disappointment at Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC):

Others have questioned the logic of holding such a massive congregation of students despite the concerning rise in coronavirus cases across the country:

Risking the lives of 1.5 lakh students is almost as cruel and callous as a terrorist attack, as this tweeter points out:

In an act of defiance and protest, students and activists are calling for the masses to unfollow the prime minister as well:

Politicians haven’t held back either, notably PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, who has severely criticized the government for its decision:

The unrest among students is well and truly underway. All that remains to be seen is whether the government will retract its decision, or whether the aggrieved student body will have no choice but to attend MDCAT 2020.

What do you think of the government’s refusal to postpone examinations in the midst of rising coronavirus cases?