Iraq's higher education ministry denies barring students from exams over HEPIQ project

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has rejected claims that students were denied entry to exams or removed from exam halls under the HEPIQ project, calling the allegations unfounded. In a written statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry said no instructions have been issued to prevent students from sitting exams in connection with the project or any related technical or electronic application. The ministry stressed that no policy is in place to bar students from exams on financial or administrative grounds. It said state and private universities and colleges have been instructed to take students' personal and material circumstances into account and to provide the necessary arrangements for exams to proceed smoothly. The statement expressed surprise at information circulating on social media and in statements made without consulting official sources, warning that such claims could cause concern and confusion in academic circles. The ministry called on students and institutions to obtain information on academic matters only through official channels. It also said it reserves the right to take legal action against those who spread misleading information, within the framework of applicable laws. No further details were immediately available on the number of students or institutions affected by the original claims.