The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has canceled the MBBS entrance exam conducted on October 14, following the controversy of widespread cheating in the exam through the use of electronic devices.

“IOM Council meeting held today decided to cancel the controversial entrance exam,” said Prof Dr JP Agrawal, Dean at IOM on Sunday. “We will fix the date for next entrance test soon,” he added.

Tribhuvan University (TU) was blamed for not taking a decision on the row over the controversial MBBS entrance exam taken more than a month ago but it decided on November 16, directing IOM to decide the issue as per TU Regulations 2016, which allows the exam operator (IOM) to publish entrance date, take exam, publish results or cancel or reschedule it or take other necessary action reports My Republica.

TU's failure to decide the entrance exam row was preventing aspiring MBBS students from getting admission in medical colleges under IOM. Nearly 9,000 students applied for the entrance test, which was conducted at 17 centers including 13 in the Kathmandu Valley.

IOM Dean's Office on October 17 suspended the results of the controversial entrance exam following reports of widespread cheating by students through the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices. Police had arrested about three dozen people, suspecting the involvement as imposters in the entrance test. IOM also cancelled the entrance exams of eight students who had sent imposters to appear in the exam by changing photographs on their admit cards.