CSS candidates 30-year age limit

FPSC asks govt to enhance candidates' upper age limit
Islamabad, Aug 08: The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) has approached the government for reverting to the 30-year age limit for the CSS aspirants, which was reduced to 28 years in 2001 by Pervez Musharraf, The News learnt here.

FPSC sources claimed the commission has approached the Establishment Division in this regard, hoping Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani would not have any objection to fulfilling a long-standing demand of hundreds of thousands of youth, who wanted to take part in the competitive exams but could not due to the lower age limit.

Former military ruler Musharraf, through an ordinance, without consulting anyone, had lowered the upper age limit from 30 years to 28 years, for those interested in appearing in the competitive exams. The minimum age limit is 21 years.

These sources pointed out that the PPP-led government twice set aside the initiative but this time they expect the totally unjustified and arbitrary measure of a military ruler would be reversed.

It was learnt from a senior official that this year 9062 candidates appeared in the CSS exams and this number had been fluctuating from time to time. However, on average 9000 candidates have been taking part in the specialised exams in recent years but this number could go significantly up once the age limit is increased.

The age limit in South Asian countries, including India and Bangladesh, is 30 years. In all, a candidate gets three chances to clear the exam. However, sources conceded that the lowering of age had hit hard those belonging to the lower middle and middle class segments of society.

They noted lower and upper age limit and the related rules were thrashed out by a democratic dispensation after a concerted exercise but a military ruler had changed it in one go, and this continued to deprive thousands of youth from appearing in the CSS exams every year. These youth argued that in view of the dismally low literacy rate and compounding economic hardships, it was already becoming very difficult for the young generation to spare time and energies to take part in the competitive exams.

The government has turned down two summaries regarding age relaxation for CSS exams in recent months despite increasing upper age limit by five years for all BPS posts, barring the CSS aspirants. According to the decision, the upper age limit for CSS remained unchanged while for the other posts under the federal ministries, departments and FPSC has been increased up to 5 years for all BPS posts.

The youths contended it was sheer injustice to CSS aspirants, especially those who have become over-aged as per CSS rule. All provinces have given general age relaxation in all competitive examinations except FPSC. The news

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Degrees verification at a snail's pace
Islamabad: Though the revised date for degree verification of Islamabad's babus and other federal gazetted employees is ending today, it may be revised once again to ensure submission of all employees' degrees for proper authentication.

"The target date for submission of academic degrees has lapsed but some of the departments have not yet submitted their degrees to the concerned department. The date could be revived further in order to accommodate latecomers," sources in the Cabinet Division told TheNation on Sunday.

Following the Prime Minister's announcement, the verification of degrees of approximately 18,869 federal government officers (BS-17 and above) and more than 64000 officers of autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies, corporations is being carried out.

Initially the target time for the exercise was 60 days (staring from the date of issuing instructions for carrying out the exercise Marach 8, 2011. As the Prime Minister in an official announcement had also directed the Establishment Division (ED) that educational certificates of the employees working in all federal government institutions may be verified authenticity by the respective institution.

It was learnt that in the verification process none has been declared as fake degree holder as yet.

The Minister Incharge of the Establishment Division had claimed in the National Assembly (NA) that if such cases were reported or come to the notice of the concerned ministry, a necessary action would be taken.

When contacted, Cabinet Division's officials shared that recently a letter was also circulated for DMG, Police and other Secretariat employees for submission of their degrees to HEC. He said that degrees verification process is underway smoothly as almost main divisions have submitted their degrees for verification.

Meanwhile, the sources said that due to some reasons Higher Education Commission (HEC) was not accepting the degrees for verification as quite recently they have restarted this process again.

It would also be not out of place to mention here that the fate of verification of educational documents of hundreds of members of Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies is simmering on a back burner after the lapse of over nine months.

The sources said that the pace of submission of degree to concerned department was initially bit slow and it gained momentum with the passage of time. After around two weeks from the start of the verification process around 10 per cent required degrees have been submitted to the concerned department.

As per the official reply in the National Assembly (NA) on particular issue, Minister Incharge of the Establishment Division informed that initial the target time given for the exercise was 60 days (starting from the date of issuing instructions for carrying out the exercise 8 March, 2011 which was extended for another 90 days with the approval of the Prime Minister.

It was further informed that if fake degree cases were reported or come to the notice of the concerned ministry necessary action would be taken as per rules.

A number of attempts were made to seek comments of Secretary Cabinet Division Nargis Sehti on the issue but cell phone was switched off. The nation

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Tampering of admission slips at AIOU
Islamabad: The number of allegedly tampered admission forms for the Spring Session 2011 deposited by Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) students has risen to 4,000 while inquiry committee constituted by AIOU VC is yet to identify the culprits, Daily Times has learnt.

According to sources, the officials allegedly involved in this criminal have made approximately Rs 2 million out of this heinous practice and have given considerable loss to AIOU and students who are 'advised' to deposit remaining fee immediately.

Reliable sources at the AIOU admission section on the condition of anonymity, told this scribe that in the admissions of Spring 2011 session, AIOU invited students for admission and received more than 5,000 admission forms in different courses of Matriculation, FA, FSc, BA, BEd, MA, MSc, MPhil, and PhD, but around 160 admission forms were found attached with original bank receipts during their scrutiny.

It was learnt that unknown staffers tampered the amount of slips submitted by students and then to compensate that loss by dispatching letters from AIOU to candidates to submit 'remaining' amount of money. Sources said that Vice Chancellor (VC) constituted a four member probe committee to investigate the issue after the students submitted the application complaining mismanagement in admission fee but so far nothing has came to surface but sources confirms that such audacious and brazen crime could not be executed without the involvement of admission section employees.

According to official, every year during the admission AIOU invite students in number of courses for various grades with the stipulated fee structure. "This year when students deposited their course fees accordingly, the tampering of admission section officials came to surface. "I am sure this was not the first time this happened in AIOU but it's the first time that this crime surfaced," he said, adding initially 170 tempered forms were identified but now it has increased to 4,000.

The sources said as soon as the news of this criminal act leaked out, the vice chancellor VC Nazir Sangi sent varsity officials to check those malpractices and find those tempered admission forms. "Ultimately students will suffer who deposited stipulated amount and when they would receive letters from university admission section to deposit their whole fee, which they already have deposited, would be surprising," the official told.

He said this was indeed a criminal act and it could not be done without the alleged involvement of admission section officials and accounts section of the AIOU. "This would surely caused student not only additional money for their uncommitted sins but also wastage of their time," he said.

He said officials involved in that act allegedly tempered the academic record of student and tempered deposited fee with the help of computer software, sources said adding later they dispatched letters to thousands of affected students advising them to deposit their remaining life.

Earlier, the VC received a written application from a number of AIOU students after they came to know that they had deposited the full fees. "We have consulted admission section to know about the fee structure, and we have original bank receipt which we have deposited than how could we deposit more fee," students wrote in application requesting VC to probe this matter and give exemplary punishment to those involved in this corrupt motives.

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Affected students to be compensated, says VC
Islamabad: Talking to Daily Times, the VC AIOU Dr Nazir Sangi confirmed that he received applications from a number of students and he has constituted an inquiry committee to probe the issue. "Mismanagement of admission fee of over 4,000 students will be compensated by AIOU and this process will be initiated from today (Monday) while students will not be asked to deposit any amount. The committee will present its report within few days time and those who will be found responsible in admission section of AIOU will be dealt with iron hands," VC said. Daily times

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FDE yet to decide extension in summer vacations
Islamabad: Parents of the students from various educational institutes working under Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and teachers are demanding extension in summer vacations during Ramazan but the directorate had not decided anything yet.

According to FDE instruction, the vacations started from June 1 will end on August 10 during the first decade of Ramazan, with only 22 days left in Eid celebrations.

The students and teachers who had moved to their hometown during vacations are supposed to return in the Ramazan to join institutes and they will have to rush again to celebrate Eid with their relatives.

Generally, students take one week to be regular to their studies after vacations and the attendance once again become thin during last ten days of Ramzan, a teacher Nasir said.

Similarly those who observe 'Aitkaaf' left for their hometowns ten days earlier so it will just be a haphazard exercise for them to return from their hometowns for resuming studies.

"Last year, the vacations were extended till Eid-ul-Fitr on the directives of former Minister for Education Sardar Asif Ahmed Ali and this year too, we are waiting for the same," Nasir said.

"Although, we have completed our home assignments but we want to observe fasting in relaxed manner and it can only be possible if vacations are extended as the school activities make us exhausted especially in summer season," a student of class 8th, who is observing Ramazan for last two years said.

Meanwhile, Represen-tative of Federal Government College Teachers Association (FGCTA) Tahir said the association had demanded extension in summer vacations in written from Director General (DG) FDE Atif Mehmood Kiyani but the directorate had not responded positively.

DG FDE said that the vacations are not being extended, as it will make difficult to cover the syllabus.

AIOU starts admission in commerce and accounting: Allama Iqbal Open University has started first time the admissions in Associate Degree in Commerce with specialization in Accounting and Finance and Banking and Finance, last date for submission the admission form is 20th August, 2011.

This was announced by Syed Zia-ul-Hasnain Naqvi, Director Admissions, AIOU. He said that admission forms and prospectuses can be obtained from the sale points at the main campus of University in Sector H-8, Islamabad as well as from all its Regional Campuses across the country. He said that Associate Degree Program has been designed in consultation with Higher Education Commission of Pakistan to develop professionally trained human resources for the specific needs of the industry. app

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Students of Grammar Public School excel in SSC
Rawalpindi: The students of the Grammar Public School, Saidpur Road, Satellite Town, showed 100% result in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Annual Examination 2011 of the Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISE), Rawalpindi, says a press release.

In General Group, among girls: Hafiza Wardah Abdur Rasheed and Hafiza Maria Abdur Rasheed each got first and second position in Rawalpindi BISE by securing 936 and 930 marks respectively.

Both of the students were awarded gold medals and cash prizes of Rs20,000 and Rs15000 by the BISE, Rawalpindi.

In Science Group, among girls: Maryam Baig secured 996 marks, Tayyaba Akram 989 marks, Amna got 975 marks and Faiqa Shahid got 974 marks.

In Science Group, among boys: Sheikh Hassan Tanveer got 992 marks, Muhammad Usman Aftab obtained 974 marks, Ahsan Tariq got 973 marks and Haris Shoaib got 947 marks.

Among boys and girls 76 students got A+ while 39 students got A and only 6 students got B grade. The general group of the students also showed 100% result. The administrator of the school Shamim Haider Syed congratulated all the students, parents and teachers on showing excellent result and declared gold medal and cash prizes for the successful candidates in the annual prize distribution ceremony.

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Distinction
Rawalpindi: Sumbal Shehzadi, a student of Allama Iqbal Mission High School got 889 marks and attained A+Grade in SSC annual examination 2011 of BISE Rawalpindi, says a press release. She appeared in the board exams under roll No. 721839. Sumbal has crowned her success to her teachers and parents for their utmost efforts towards her success. She is willing to have her future career in medical sciences. The news

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