BISE stolen papers' issue | Punjab teachers, clerks strike
Stolen papers' issue: Cancellation of papers to cost BISE dearly
Faisalabad, April 24: Distribution of Class-IX stolen papers of physics and
Islamiyat (optional) among the students will cost the Faisalabad Board of
Intermediate and Secondary Education dearly as the Punjab government has
cancelled the examination of both papers. The government has asked the
board officials to make arrangements for fresh examination of both papers.
Thousands of students of group first would take the exam afresh. A
handout issued by the BISE read: "The exams of physics and Islamiyat (optional)
would be held on May 20 and candidates would be issued new roll numbers.
The board would also allot new examination centres because intermediate
students are appearing in exam these days." Sources informed that the
ill-intention of the BISE officials would incur financial burden on the board
which had to spend hundreds of thousands of rupees on publication of question
papers, their transportation to banks, and expenses of the examination centres.
They said this time the board officials were being strictly monitored by the
provincial government. Although distributory inspector Munir Jehan had
informed board acting chairman Khadim Hussain and controller Zafar Iqbal about
the incident, those very papers were given to the candidates which had gone
missing. This paper published a story that the board officials had
distributed 'stolen papers' among thousands of students on April 8.
Sources said the Punjab government had also ordered an inquiry into the
matter and a team of the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Faisalabad, had visited
the board office on Wednesday and grilled the employees of different
departments. They said some board officials would be taken to task for
concealing the issue and using the stolen papers. They said the
officials questioned why the board chairman did not change the bank branch when
he was informed that question papers had been stolen from the National Bank's
Noorpur branch on April 8. Meanwhile, an inquiry into the issue
constituted by the board concluded that not a single member of the board was
involved in the papers' stealing. The inquiry team was formed by the
board when second time unidentified people had taken away question papers of
general science, mathematics and chemistry. The committee, sources said,
had obtained the statements of all examination centres' officials attached with
the bank. The centres (for boys) whose superintendents and the deputies
were grilled included: the Madina College of Commerce, Millat Chowk; the Workers
Welfare School, Johar Colony; the Sandal College, Millat Road; the MC High
School, Hajiabad; and the MC High School, Gulistan Colony. The girls'
centres were: 122-JB Girls High School; the Gulistan Colony school; the College
for Women, Gulistan Colony; the MC Girls High School, Hajiabad; and the Workers
Welfare Girls High School. Dawn
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Teachers, clerks stage sit-in
Lahore: A massive protest sit-in was observed outside the Punjab Civil
Secretariat on Thursday when a large number of college teachers and members of
All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) gathered regarding their long standing
demands. The APCA sit-in was part of its countrywide pen-down strike in
connection with clerks' demand of increase in salaries while the college
teachers, mostly contract lecturers, staged the sit-in and demanded the
government to fulfil their long standing demands including those related to
promotions, allowances and permanent appointments of contract lecturers etc.
The teachers had earlier taken out a protest rally organised by
Tehrik-e-Asataza Punjab, which started from the Government Islamia College Civil
Lines and culminated at a sit-in outside the Punjab Civil
Secretariat. The commuters had to face many troubles as the sit-in caused
a mess not only on Lower Mall but also on The Mall. The traffic police had
cordoned off the road from various sides which created a traffic mess on
adjacent roads for more than two hours. The protesting teachers while
carrying banners and placards chanted slogans demanding of the government to
solve their problems. Earlier, a convention was held at the Islamia College
where teacher-leaders made speeches and criticised the government for ignoring
the teachers' problems over the years. The teachers ended their protest
sit-in following a delegation comprising teacher representatives held a
successful meeting with the Secretary Higher Education Punjab Azhar Hussain
Shamim. They were informed that the department had already moved a summary
regarding solution to their genuine problems. It is pertinent to mention
here that earlier on April 21, the Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association
(PPLA) had staged a protest rally and sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly
demanding of the government to solve problems being faced by the college
teachers. The News
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Fatima Memorial Hospital College of Medicine and Dentistry second annual convocation
Lahore: Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer has said that the medical students
are playing a vital role in the development of human capital and are the
mainstay of the healthcare sector. He was addressing the second annual
convocation of the Fatima Memorial Hospital College of Medicine and Dentistry
Lahore at Aiwan-e-Iqbal on Thursday. In his speech, he said the health sector
determined how much a society was developed as a healthy nation only could
guarantee the progress and advancement of the country. It was a like a
yardstick, he remarked. He told the students that they had deliver the
service after choosing a great profession and hoped that they would prove
themselves at national and international level with devotion and
zeal. Vice-Chancellor University of Health Sciences (UHS) Prof Dr Malik
Hussain Mubashar termed the day as a occasion to commit future for securing the
lives of the people, saying that all the professionals must concentrate to serve
the humanity with consciousness, dignity and respect. He advised the
successful students to work without any discrimination of gender, race, colour
or community. Dr Malik said the highly trained professionals doctors had a
responsibility to act like a model for others members of the society. Principal
of the college Prof Dr Humayun Maqsood said the basic objective of the institute
was to create professional medical personnel. Associated Dean of Dentistry
Prof Dr Yaqoob Baig Mirza, Chairperson Executive Committee Shahima Rehman
besides others also spoke to a large number prospective students and parents who
participated in the convocation. Earlier, Governor Salmaan Taseer awarded
medals to 14 position holders along with conferring degrees successful students
including 60 MBBS and 22 BDS graduates. The Nation
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$350m okayed for Punjab Education Development
Lahore: The World Bank lauded the Punjab Education Development Programme
introduced by the provincial government and agreed to US$ 350 million funding
during the next three years. According to a DGPR handout, this agreement
was reached in a high level meeting between the representatives of the World
Bank and the Punjab government comprising Secretary School Education Department
Nadeem Ashraf, Special Secretary Finance and Member (SS) P&D Department.
During the meeting, the result-oriented initiatives taken by the Punjab
government for the uplift of education sector were highlighted. It was
stated that in addition to the measures for the promotion of education, the
Punjab government has also introduced a number of initiatives on the directions
of the Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to ensure availability as well as quality
of education. These included provision of missing facilities,
establishment of IT computer labs in high/higher secondary schools in the
province, recruitment of 34,000 teachers on merit, grant of performance based
allowance to teachers, comprehensive training programme for education managers,
empowerment of school councils and school heads and capacity building of GCETs
as well as a massive universal primary enrolment campaign. The World
Bank expressed satisfaction over the high priority being attached to the
education sector by the Punjab government and agreed to lend its support.
The financial assistance will be utilised for the implementation of
second-generation reforms in the education sector. It is pertinent to
mention that the proposed project is based on improved quality of education,
improved access and equity, improved governance, management & monitoring and
enhanced education sector expenditures as well as improved fiduciary
environment. DFID is expected to provide an additional support of US$
120 million shortly. Final memorandum of understanding (MoU) is expected to be
signed in this regard on June 5, 2009.
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PU Book Fair continues
Lahore: A large number of peopl, especially students, visited the Punjab
University (PU) New Campus on second day of annual book fair on Thursday.
According to a press statement issued from PU Provincial Education
Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Amjad Islam Amjad, Zahoor Watto, Farid Paracha
and other personalities along with Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran
visited the book fair on Thursday. The guests expressed pleasure that publishers
and booksellers of national and international repute were selling books on up to
50% discount prices. Speaking on the occasion, VC Dr Mujahid Kamran said
the importance of book in development of nations could not be denied. He urged
the youth to develop book reading habits. On the occasion, renowned poet Amjad
Islam Amjad and Farid Paracha also talked about the importance of developing
book reading habits. The VC constituted committees comprising deans of
faculties, heads of departments, principals of colleges and senior faculty
members to organize the event while students on merit had also been included in
all the committees. The News
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PU issued MBBS datesheet
Punjab University Examination Department has issued the datesheets of MBBS (Re-Organized Scheme)
and MBBS (New Re-Organized Scheme). According to the datesheets, MBBS
(Re-Organized Scheme), Final Professional, Supplementary Examination 2008 will
commence from May 12 and will conclude on June 1 while MBBS (New Re-Organized
Scheme), Final Professional, Supplementary Examination 2008 will start from May
12 and will conclude on May 29.
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Prosecutors' PPSC results details sought
Lahore: A full bench of the Lahore High Court Wednesday sought the details
about the results of prosecutors who appeared in the examination held by the
Punjab Public Service Commission while remaining in their service. The bench
comprising Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Hafiz
Tariq Nasim adjourned hearing of hundreds of identical petitions filed by
prosecutors challenging their termination till April 27. Arguments of Dr
Khalid Ranjha and Dr Abdul Basit who represented the petitioners-prosecutors
were still going on and will continue on next day of hearing. On previous
date of hearing Punjab government had told the bench that 488 ad hoc prosecutors
recruited by previous government throughout Punjab were failed to pass
departmental examination taken for their confirmation, therefore, they were
terminated. Former Advocate General Punjab Khawaja Haris representing the
government in private capacity had also pointed out that 453 of dismissed
prosecutors approached the LHC that stayed their termination in July last year.
The petitioners Sarfraz Ahmed and hundreds of others deputy, assistant and
deputy prosecutor generals had sought court's indulgence to get them restored.
After the assembling of new government in Punjab, the prosecutors were
dismissed after judging their ability. The terminated prosecutors after the
court hearing on Monday gathered at GPO Chowk and held a protest demonstration
against their termination. They demanded the government to protect their
jobs from political victimization. The Nation
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BZU trees 'fall like autumn leaves'
Multan: The Bahauddin Zakariya University campus is being exposed to
environmental degradation with the large-scale tree cutting which has caused
concern among the teachers and the taught. Criticising the BZU
administration's move, a number of students demand an immediate ban on cutting
of trees on the university campus to save them from the effects of harsh
weather. The practice, they say, is being carried out for the last two years.
The university administration has cut down trees which were even more
than 30 years old on the pretext of removing eucalyptus trees and introducing
local varieties to avoid "a lot of problems". Director State Management
and In-charge Arboriculture Dr Altaf Dasti said eucalyptus trees were eradicated
from the campus on the direction of the Punjab government as the eucalyptus
reduces the underground water level and is not useful compared to most
indigenous trees. "Birds do not build nests in the eucalyptus as it is a
straight tree and they do not feel secure under it and, thus, do not allow other
indigenous trees to grow," he said. The felling of hundreds of trees
over two years worried the teachers and the students who said the administration
should stop planting eucalyptus rather than cutting a large number of trees at a
time when there was no replacement. "The campus is giving an ugly look without
trees," they said. According to a student, trees absorb heat and carbon
dioxide and play a crucial role in climate regulation. Besides oxygen, they
release moisture that returns to the earth in the form of rain. He said it was
being observed that mass cutting of trees in the university had led to higher
temperatures since last year and it also leads to less rain. He said the
trees were being chopped off in the name of the construction of two new hostels,
one each for boys and girls. "Tree-felling is absolutely not necessary to build
hostels as there is enough space to construct such facilities." "It is
outrageous that the university which boasts of being environment-friendly is
actually chopping the trees off," Imran Gabool, an activist of PSF, said.
"We condemn cutting of trees. We are planning to protest against the
massive killing of trees and will ensure that the practice is stopped
forthwith," he added. Islami Jamiat Tulaba Nazim Mulazim Husain said
they would contact the administration to stop the cutting of trees. He said:
"The administration usually sows seeds of discord among the student
organisations so that these are unable to take stand jointly on any issue."
Academic Staff Association ex-president Mian Ghulam Yasin said the
eucalyptus trees should be removed, but cutting them in such a way was not a
right decision. He said the place of hostels could be changed. Sources informed that hundreds of trees worth millions had been cut down and they were
not auctioned properly. "The record of trees planted in the university has gone
missing," he said. Dr Altaf Dasti said, "according to the forest
department procedure, numbers can be put only on those trees that are planted at
roadsides and the administration has the record of only those trees." He
denied cutting of trees other than eucalyptus, and said the hostels were being
constructed at the place earmarked in the university's master plan.
District Officer (Forest) Shaukat Muddasir, however, said the department
put numbers at each and every tree. In-charge Soiling Agriculture
Research Center, Faisalabad, Dr Javed Akhtar said it was a misconception that
eucalyptus reduced the underground water level. "Water pumps and
agricultural tubewells are main reasons for the reduction in the water level,
and not eucalyptus trees" he said. Eucalyptus trees should not be chopped off as
the country was already facing shortage of forest, he added.
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Work on new GCU campus next month
Faisalabad: The government has released funds for the construction of
a new campus of the Government College University (GCU) at Sahianwala and work
on the campus will begin next month, says a university official. Haq
Nawaz, GCU director on planning and development, told vice-chancellor Dr Shahid
Mehboob and other faculty members during a briefing at the campus site here on
Thursday that construction of the new campus would be completed in 15 years in
three phases. He said academic and admin blocks, two boys hostels, roads and
outer wall of the campus would be raised in the first phase at the cost of Rs478
million. Dr Mehboob said contemporary facilities would be provided at
the new campus. He said the university would run a bus for students and faculty
members between the new and old campuses. Mass Communication Department
Director Dr AR Khalid, Examinations Controller Javed Aslam Bajwa, Admin Director
Abbas Shah, Mass Communication Department In-charge Salma Umber, Academic Staff
Association President Dr Mudassir, United Teachers Forum President Sibghatullah,
Pharmacy Department Chairman Dr Farzana, Pakistan Studies Department Chairman Dr
Mughis, Engineering and Computer Sciences Department Chairman Anwar Sipra and
Student Affairs Deputy Director Zeeshan Ahmed were also present. Dawn
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