B.Tech graduates & Pakistan Technology Council

B.Tech graduates to have Pakistan Technology Council soon
Islamabad, Apr 18: More than 50,000 B.Tech graduates, after years-long struggle, received a green signal from National Assembly Standing Committee on Science and Technology to establish a separate Pakistan Technology Council (PTC) for registering them and safeguarding their interests and rights.

B.Tech graduates have been deprived of access to higher studies, job opportunities in public departments and promotions due to undefined status of their degree and it was their longstanding demand to establish PTC.

Chairman Pakistan Council of Technologists, Sheikh Javed said that after strenuous efforts of B.Tech community, Chairman NA Standing Committee on Science and Technology Dr. Abdul Qadir Khanzada in a meeting with Pakistan Council of Technologists (PCT) announced to establish the PTC.

The council has handed over the draft of PTC Act to Minister of Science and Technology, Changez Khan Jamali so that the work on establishing a separate council can be started as early as possible.

Now, Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) as well as Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) have also recommended to establish PTC, he said.

B.Tech graduates have been suffering from the last 35 years due to undefined status of their degree.

Earlier, Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) refused to recognize and register B.Tech graduates, restraining their access to employment opportunities as well as due promotions in the public departments.

Only private organizations and few government departments were acknowledging the status of B.Tech graduates, giving them jobs, Javed said.

Now the B.Tech graduates hope that their problems will be resolved during the tenure of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) led government.

Over 10,000 B.Tech graduates complete their degrees from different institutes annually and start their struggle in the market for jobs and most of them have to go abroad for jobs, he observed.

Pakistan Technology Council, if established, will help register technology graduates, control technology institution and eliminate discrimination regarding higher education, job opportunities and scale promotion.

About the history of their struggle, Sheikh Javed informed that a draft bill for the establishment of PTC was dispatched  in February 2010 which was forwarded to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) on March 3, 2010 for furnishing their comments but is still pending.

Earlier, PEC refused to control, register and promote the technologists and in its Act passed on December 29 from the Parliament excluded the terms 'technicians or technologists' which meant that the council was not ready to accept their status.

B.Tech programme was formally launched in 1973 and the then Ministry of Education directed to give status of B.Tech (Hons) degree at par with B.Sc Engineering/B.E degree, according to the letter No. 15-29/73-Tech.

According to the letter no PEC/4-P/QEC, PEC stated that B.Tech degree will be considered equivalent to B.Sc/BE and the same decision was taken in 9th inter-provincial ministers conference at Quetta in 1986, 39th HEC meeting on 12-2-98, FPSC in its letter no F4-89/2002-R but now PEC is not ready to accept their status.

The B.Tech holders study the same courses like engineers and are equally competent but they have to struggle and file cases individually to recognize their degree status, Sheikh Javed said.

After PEC refusal to register B.tech graduates, different public departments denied to recognize their degree, not giving them jobs.  While those who were appointed already remained deprived of promotion above Grade 16, he said.

Sheikh Javed said Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) is also not appointing the B.Tech degree holders directly.

The technologists holding B.Tech qualification have filed several cases in courts and got 17 decisions in their favour, declaring their degree equivalent to B.Sc/BE but no decision could not be implemented so far.

The full bench of Supreme Court in Suo Motu Review Petition No. 52 of 1993 given its verdict on June 05, 1995 in favour of B.Tech (Hons) (PLD 1995 SC 701), thrashing out the role of PEC. But, PEC in 2004-05 managed the amendments by adding new clauses and definition of professional engineering work and section 5A of  Section 27 only to null and void the decision of full bench of Supreme Court thus to interfere in the service matters and blocking promotion channels of employees possessing B.Tech (Hons) degrees.

HEC through a letter accepted the status of B.Tech (Hons) equivalent to BS.c/BE and started issuing equivalence certificate to the graduates but the public departments refused to employ them, he said. app

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Textbooks' prices go up by
Islamabad: The textbooks' prices have witnessed up to 25 percent increase in capital with the start of the new academic year from April, and the parents are being forced to buy the new course books for their children, it was learnt on Sunday.

In year 2010 a 200-page notebook costed Rs 50 to Rs 65, but this year its minimum price has gone up to Rs 110, whereas in 2010 the low quality paper (0.5 gram) notebook's price stood at Rs 35 which is now being sold for Rs 55.

Last year the maximum price of a syllabus book of class 1 to 5 was Rs 80 to 160, but this year its minimum price is Rs 120 to 200, whereas each book of "O" level and "A" level of Oxford University costs around Rs 1,000.

The prices of stationery items, including school bags, have also increased recently, making them out of the reach of middle-class families. Polyester made school bag in 2010 was available at Rs 350, but in current year its price has gone up to Rs 500. Last year low quality leather bag was available for Rs 400 but this year its price has gone to Rs 750.

Unfortunately, various educational institutions have currently included new international books in their curriculum to maintain a high standard of their institution in the market.

Parveen, a mother of three claimed that the books' expenditure was more than school fee and unfortunately there was no check on private publishers. She said high prices had forced parents to buy second hand books and this situation is creating inferiority complex among the children.

Zahid Abbasi, who was purchasing books for his children at Abpara Market, said this year the prices of books were unaffordable for middle class. He said school bookstores had created their monopoly in the market.

Aftab Malik, a father of two children, who was purchasing books at a bookstore in Super Market, said nationwide it had become difficult to manage educational expenditures of children, as in the past two decades school textbooks prices had increased to a great extent.

Parents demanded that the government play its role to control textbooks' prices by keeping a check on the booksellers. They said the government should take steps to ensure availability of books at affordable price so that every one could be able to send their children for education to school.

They said the authorities should direct the booksellers to start selling textbooks at a considerable discount and set up special books stores to ensure availability of textbooks and ending the monopoly of private publishers and bookstores. Daily times

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AIOU to give 500 awards to employees, students
Islamabad: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) will give more than five hundred awards in twelve different categories to its employees, students and tutors.

This was announced by Prof. Dr. Nazir Ahmed Sangi, Vice-Chancellor, Allama Iqbal Open University while addressing as a chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony of All Pakistan AIOU Student's Inter Regional Grand Competitions-2011.

AIOU is spreading quality education from Matric to Ph.D level in different disciplines across the country at affordable admission fee to eradicate illiteracy from the country.

Dr. Sangi said the people living in some backward areas cannot pay even less amount of admission fee of AIOU and the university has set up "Student Support Fund" to facilitate the underprivileged people.

The people from inside and outside the country can contribute in the Student Support Fund. The university will also arrange the contest in far flung and backward areas and provide opportunity to the students in different cities. Dr. Sangi said that AIOU will provide fee concession to award winners. He said that the contests were held to raise the consciousness to eliminate the terrorism, uplifting knowledge and harmony.

Director, Student Advisory and Counselling Services Syed Zia-ul-Hasnain Naqvi said AIOU has arranged co-curricular activities for the students despite economic limitations.

He said that the winners who stood first, second and third in the grand competitions-2011 from across the country would be sent to participate in the contests with the students of other institutions/universities.

According to result of the grand competitions-2011, in the contest of Urdu Speech, Muhammad Waqas Bashir (Islamabad Region), Shamsa Jalal (Karachi Region) and Ghaffar Ahmed (DG Khan Region) stood first, second and third respectively.

In the contest of English Speech, Azam Mushtaq (Karachi Region), Saba Younus (Lahore Region) and Madiha Umer (Faisalabad Region) stood first, second and third respectively.

In national songs competitions, Muhammad Waseem Bashir (Rawalpindi Region), Mehreen Malik (Sargodha Region) and Afshan Saddiqi (Karachi Region) stood first, second and third.

In the competition of Husn-e-Qira'at, Muhammad Rajab Ali (Karachi Region), Muhammad Bilal (Rawalpindi Region) and Sadia Saeed (DG Khan Region) stood first, second and third.

In Na'at contests, Muhammad Abdul Ghani (Multan Region), Sadia Akram (Rawalpindi Region) stood first and second while Sobia Andaleeb (Islamabad Region) and Mehreen Malik (Sarghoda Region) declared third.

In painting competition, Syeda Nadia Raza (Islamabad Region), Qisra Parveen (Lahore Region) and Khalid Hussain (Rawalpindi Region) stood first, second and third respectively. The nation

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IIUI cultural festival from April 18
Islamabad: The International Islamic University Islamabad will hold 23rd cultural festival at Faisal Masjid Campus from April 18 to 20.

A large number of students participate every year in the cultural festival with zeal and fervour, showing cultures of different regions of Pakistan and more than thirty countries. Students setup their stalls where they represent their culture through dresses, pottery, food and various cultural items of their region. Students create a full set of the specific region by showing their cultural heritage, said a press release issued here today. The event will be inaugurated by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan and Saudi Ambassador Abdul Aziz Ibrahim Al-Ghadeer on Monday.

The International Dress Show has also been arranged on April 19 at the Quaid-e-Azam Auditorium of the campus. Kanwal Nasser, a TV actress, will be the chief guest and Dr. Fariha Nahid Alam, Dr. Khalida Samar Mubarikmand, and Begum Shahida Azeem, will act as judges. The dress show will also be attended by Bahraini Ambassador Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Qadir as chief guest and Neolofar Bakhitar as the guest of honour.

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City School holds lively Annual Day
Rawalpindi: The Annual Day of The City School, Girls Branch, Rawalpindi, was held at the Rawalpindi Arts Council. The theme of the function was 'Inspirations from Great Personalities'.

Every item reminded of the great people whose lives are examples for us. The 'Arabian Nights' showed beautiful characters. 'Mother Teresa' was a tribute to a great personality who kindled the light of kindness in her young age. Allama Iqbal's ideas were revived through a performance titled 'Shikwa aur Jawab-e-Shikwa'.

A great source of information was the 'Scientific Parade' featuring dynamic changes in this world. The play 'Beauty and the Beast' was also a unique item.

Schoolchildren gave a vibrant performance of aerobics and hula-hoop the play.

Regional Coordinator Rubina Zahid said that the prime objective of the programme was to follow the footsteps of those who brought positive change.

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AWKU faculty gets scholarships
Mardan: For the first time in history of the universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Abdul Wali Khan University (AWKU) has awarded 46 PhD scholarships to its faculty members with the financial support of the provincial government.

The faculty members will be sent to the top class universities of the world for higher studies. A high level committee was constituted to select the candidates.

The committee comprises Prof Dr Ihsan Ali, the university vice-chancellor, Prof Dr Said Khan Khalil, director QEC, Prof Sher Ali Khan, registrar; Prof Dr Yasmeen Nawaz, dean of sciences; Prof Dr Khursheed Anwar, dean of arts; Prof Dr Salimullah Khan, coordinator of the university's Anbar Campus; Hafiz Khalilur Rehman, Director P&D; Sayim Sohail, deputy director P&D; and Arshur Rahman, assistant treasurer.

The committee has unanimously approved the award of 42 scholarships for PhD studies under the Faculty Development Programme as part of the phase-I of the 200 scholarships provided by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. An additional four scholarships for one-year programme were also awarded from the university's own resources. The news

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