Category: Science & Technology

Vice-Chancellor Quaid-i-Azam University says that land grabbers are making it difficult to make university campuses drug-free.

700 acres of prime university land is being grabbed under the nose of the federal government and university can’t fight the grabbers.

He was briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Narcotics Control which met today at Islamabad under the Chairmanship of MNA Salahuddin Ayubi.

Briefing the committee on the ground situation, vice-chancellor QAU, Muhammad Ali, informed the committee that out of 23 km, the 11 km boundary wall has been constructed around the university however, there are some disputes regarding the land due to which the 700 acres land was occupied with unauthorized occupants.

This illegal occupation is a major cause of illegal activities near the university campus and the spread of narcotics among students. He said various police operations have been carried out with the help of the district administration but the illegal land occupants are a serious threat to the very existence of the peaceful campus of QAU.

He further emphasized that most of the kiosks selling fast food and general items to the students existing outside the premises of the university are involved in drug-related activities.

He also told that they have made Quaid-e-Azam University a smoke-free campus.

Besides the Federal Minister for Narcotics Control, MNAs Gul Dad Khan, Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Nusrat Wahid, Andleeb Abbas, Ch. Zulfiqar Ali Bhinder, Shahida Akhter Ali, Mohsin Dawar, and officials of the Ministry and its attached Departments were present in the meeting.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Another one of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s electoral promises nears realization as a parliamentary panel approved the establishment of a university at the Prime Minister House.

The breakthrough came on Monday, three years after the proposal was first floated, as the National Assembly Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training approved The University of Engineering and Emerging Technology Bill 2020. The project would be completed in six years.

The committee convened its session at the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE), which was chaired by MNA Mian Najeebuddin Awaisi.

At the start of the meeting, opposition members and some from treasury benches called for deferment of the bill, saying that they were not given enough time to read the bill.

However, Parliamentary Secretary (Education) Wajiha Qamar, Federal Secretary (Education) Farah Hamid Khan, and Higher Education Commission (HEC) Executive Director Dr. Shaista Sohail, apprised the committee about the importance of the university project.

HEC Executive Director told the committee that earlier the bill was placed before the Standing Committee on Science and Technology and has recently been referred to the Standing Committee on Federal Education.

She said that HEC has already received government directives for the establishment of a university focused on engineering and emerging technologies in the federal capital.

“Hence, a draft bill has been prepared in line with the Federal Universities Ordinance, 2002,” she said, adding that the case, being a public sector initiative, should be accelerated so that an Act is processed.

About the PM House University

The federal government has already approved Rs. 23 billion for the university project, which will comprise seven centers of excellence. Three of them will be set up in the PM House and four in the Kuri area of Islamabad.

The government is currently in talks with the Capital Development Authority (CDA), HEC, and Ministry of Federal Education to start operations of the university in the Sir Syed Memorial Building G-5 to start offering admissions for the spring session. This would be a temporary setup and would be used until the university building is completed.

On the other hand, sources close to the matter said the government would need to amend Islamabad’s master plan to initiate the project in G-5, as the sector is not meant for educational activities and is dedicated to government buildings.

Source: Pro Pakistani

The deepening financial crisis in several Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) of Sindh has made it difficult for boards to pay salaries to their employees.

According to reports, depletion of funds has been reported in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, and Sukkur educational boards, due to which salaries of the employees have been delayed.

For the second consecutive month, the Mirpur Khas board released salaries with a week’s delay, while other boards issued salaries using savings accounts due to a lack of funds in their general accounts.

The financial situation of the matriculation and intermediate boards of Karachi is not very encouraging either. According to reports, they will not have enough money in their accounts to pay salaries after December.

The boards made several requests for funds from the provincial government but to no avail.

Chairmen of the boards have said that they will not be able to compile the examination results if funds were not released immediately.

“Such a situation may lead to a delay in announcement of results, which could disturb the entire academic calendar,” an official of the Hyderabad education board said.

He said that the board employees would go on strike from 11 October.

Meanwhile, the All Pakistan Clerks Association has also threatened to boycott work in offices if the funds for their salaries are not released.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Superior University took another proud victory home by positioning at the victory stand in the ‘HEC Sports General Trophy 2020-2021’.

Among 236 universities participating from across Pakistan, students of Superior University have reached a victory stand in both girls’ and boys’ sports categories. The Superior boys were already on the victory stand for the last five years and the girls also made it by winning two gold medals, one for the high jump and one for the long jump.

Mian Amir Mehmood, Chairman Punjab Group of Colleges hosted the event. Federal Minister for Education & Professional Training in Pakistan; Mian Shafqat Mehmood participated as the Chief Guest, Dr. Shaista Sohail, Executive Director of Higher Education of Pakistan also participated in the event. Mr. Mudassar Kamran, Registrar Superior University received the prize money on behalf of Prof. Dr. Sumaira Rehman, Rector Superior University.

Dr. Sumaira Rehman is the lady who has aligned the co-curricular and extracurricular activities of students at Superior University with emotionally intelligent opportunities for their personal and professional success. She has empowered women and brought them into the limelight.

Addressing the audience, the Minister for Education, Mian Shafqat Mehmood emphasized the importance of sports and co-curricular activities for students’ personality development along with the implementation of a Single National Curriculum across Pakistan.

Mian Amir Mehmood shed light on a very important factor that the public sector universities in Pakistan collect funds of over PKR 640 million from students for holding sports events. While the day’s results show that students from the private sector have rocked the victory stand by winning 70 percent of the sports competitions in which winners from the Superior University were prominent. He also demanded the Prime Minister of Pakistan to launch a probe into the utilization of government funds being provided to public universities for sports development in comparison with practical sports contributions of the public universities.

Winners from Superior University said, that they’re truly following the vision of Rector Superior University Dr. Sumaira Rehman by being outstanding in every platform, either in academics, research, entrepreneurship, or sports. They said Superior University is effectively and efficiently contributing by providing funds and resources to the sports teams of the University.

Source: Pro Pakistani

In an absurd development, the Punjab government has decided to ban employees of government colleges from using social networking platforms and speaking with media.

The ban has been imposed by the Directorate of Public Instructions (DPI) Colleges Punjab. It comes into effect immediately and will be applicable to all teachers and principals of government colleges across the province.

In the official notification issued in this regard, DPI has claimed that the use of social media platforms by the teachers and principals of public colleges is against the Punjab Government Service Rules (PGSR).

The notification mentioned that DPI has observed that they have been using social networking platforms to air their views on a wide range of topics that do not conform to official conduct enshrined in the PESR.

From disclosing the official information to disseminating the wrong or misleading information to the airing of political or sectarian views, the teachers and principals of government colleges have been found involved in a number of such acts.

Therefore, DPI has decided to impose a ban on them for using social media platforms and speaking with media outlets.

In case of violation of the stated directive, DPI will initiate disciplinary proceedings against the teachers and principals of government colleges under PGSR.

Under the PGSR, teachers and principals of public colleges are prohibited from speaking with media without obtaining prior permission from the government.

They are also banned from sharing official information and documents with unauthorized government servants, private employees, or members of the media.

They are also forbidden from giving any statement which could embarrass the provincial government on any public platform, TV program, or radio broadcast.

Teachers and principals of government colleges are also prohibited from sharing views that go against the national integrity and the provincial government or any of its decision.

They are barred also from expressing opinions that could compromise national security, harm friendly relations with other countries, derail public order, promote indecency, stir sectarian violence, or amount to contempt of court.

Source: Pro Pakistani