KU convocation, toppers deprived

Convocation on 17th: KU deprives toppers of gold medals
Karachi, Dec 15: A number of Karachi University students who topped the annual exams in their respective departments may not receive gold medals at the convocation scheduled to be held on Dec 17, it emerged on Wednesday.

Sources said that gold medals would not be conferred on the students enrolled under the four-year BS programme, which was introduced in 2007, only because the university had not negotiated its terms with private sponsors.

Oddly enough, the sources added, the university would award gold medals to students with much less percentage just because they had accepted a university offer after exams and opted for conversion of their four-year degree programme to the previous educational programme.

"We have recently submitted our names for the gold medal list. But we have been informed that no gold medal will be awarded to the BS graduates because the sponsored medals are only meant for the old Masters programme," said a student of the chemistry department.

It is said that the university after creating much confusion and trouble for BS students finally decided in recent months to offer degrees of previous programmes of Honours and Masters to students.

According to KU officials, the decision was taken to allay concerns of passing-out graduates who were said to have been finding it difficult to get jobs as many employers were asking for a Masters degree.

The four-year BS and two-year Masters programmes were reportedly introduced under Higher Education Commission pressure.Still perturbed over the conversion issue, students raised the question as to why the decision of offering conversion to the old Masters programme was taken seven months after hundreds of students had already graduated.

"How can the university confer degrees of Honours or Masters programme on the students who were enrolled in the BS programme?" they asked.

Similarly, they also questioned as to how the graduates enrolled in the BS programme could be awarded gold medals when they might not even have topped in their respective class.

They also expressed the concern that they might not receive a special merit certificate since the relevant university administration was not willing to register their names for the certificate list.

"We were not informed that students would be deprived of their gold medals if they wouldn't accept the conversion offer.

These days, the university is accepting forms for conversion, but it is refusing to mark positions in the mark-sheets," the students said.

Most of the affected students didn't opt for programme conversion because they had either got jobs or applied to foreign universities for higher studies and were not aware of the implications if they didn't accept the offer.

It is worth noting here that more than 1,700 students got admissions to the BS morning programme in the faculties of science and arts in 2007. They graduated in 2010 and of them, only 543 opted for conversion of the programme to the previously run Masters / Honours programmes. KU pro-vice chancellor Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi said that different private concerns, which sponsored gold medals, also decided about the degree and discipline for dedicating the medal.

"Many top achievers fail to get a medal only because they or their respective department chairperson and teachers couldn't find a sponsor. And, this has been going on for many years," she explained.

In reply to a question regarding the BS students, she said that the university had signed agreements of understandings with private parties and couldn't decide about gold medals on its own.

"It's not unfair. It's a legal issue. The KU doesn't spend money on preparing the gold medals. It's the private parties and we have to act according to the understanding agreed with them," she said.

She pledged that the BS students would get special certificate of merit, explaining that efforts were being made to award them gold medals once the university received funding for the same.

"My sympathies are with the students and I would like philanthropists to come forward and support the university to acknowledge these talented students," she remarked.

About the number of affected BS students, she said that they might be more than 50.

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No shuttle service for KU evening students
Karachi: Thousands of Karachi University evening programme students currently appearing in the semester examinations face immense difficulties in reaching their examination centres set up at different departments on the campus because of non-availability of the shuttle service.

The KU management has, however, provided the shuttle service to its students of the morning programme whose semester exams are under way and has also made some transport arrangements for thousands of candidates (male) who are currently appearing in their BSc and BA (regular and private) annual examinations.

The evening programme students of the university complained that although they too were currently appearing in their semester exams, the KU administration's act of not providing them the facility of bus service amounted to discrimination despite the fact that they were paying an increased amount of tuition and admission fees as compared to the fees being paid by students of the morning programme.

They said that as no KU transport service was available to take them from any of the two main entrances of the KU - the Silver Jubilee Gate and the Maskan gate - to their examination centres, particularly those set up in the departments located quite far off from the university's main entrances, they had to walk long distances and often got exhausted upon reaching their centres and felt uncomfortable in solving their papers.

They demanded of KU Vice Chancellor Prof Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui to direct the officials concerned to consider evening programme students at par with those studying in the morning shift and provided them shuttle service between the KU entrances and their departments and examination centres. Dawn

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Forms submission date announced
Karachi: The controller of examinations, University of Karachi (KU), announced on Wednesday that the exam forms for BS Physiotherapy would be accepted from December 15 to 29. He said interested students had to submit their forms along with a fee of Rs5,340, while students enrolled in 2007 or earlier could also submit their forms with an additional fee of Rs2,500.

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SSUET decides to review admission process
Karachi: The Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET) has decided to review its admission process for the year 2012. The decision was taken in a meeting that was headed by the Chancellor SSUET ZA Nizami on Wednesday.

The meeting was informed that the computerisation of the admission process had almost been completed and that the chancellor had directed for the admission process to be based solely on merit.

The meeting also reviewed the arrangements for the forthcoming 14th International Conference, which will be held at the SSUET campus from December 22 to 24 in collaboration with the Institute of Industrial Electronics Engineering (IIEE).

The members at the meeting were also informed that the delegations from the USA and UK had confirmed that they would attend the conference. The meeting also discussed the future energy conservation plan for the University and it was announced that a number of recommendations from experts, who would propose long and short term plans for the efficient use of energy on the campus, were in the process of being finalised.

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BDS supple results declared
Karachi: The controller of examinations, University of Karachi, announced on Wednesday the result of Bachelors of Dental Surgery (BDS) supplementary exams.

According to a gazette, 43 of the 45 registered candidates appeared in the exam and 37 candidates passed. Officials from the Sindh Madressatul Islam (SMI) college announced on Wednesday that admissions in Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mass Communication and Education is now open till December 23.

The controller examinations, University of Karachi (KU), announced that the exam forms for BS Physiotherapy would be accepted from December 15 to 29. He said that interested students have to submit their forms along with a fee of Rs5,340, whereas students enrolled in 2007 or earlier can also submit their forms with an additional fee of Rs2,500.

Meanwhile, SMI Principal Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh said that the college has been affiliated with the University of Karachi (KU) and candidates that are interested in applying for the course can obtain admission forms for Rs200.

The college would conduct an admission test on December 24 (Saturday), the

results for which would be announced on December 26, he informed.

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College principal gets show-cause notice for being absent
Karachi: The director of colleges Sindh has issued a show-cause notice to the principal of the Ayesha Bawani College and four of its lecturers for their absence from the institution. During a visit to the college on Wednesday, Dr Nasir Ansar came to know that not only was the principal of the college absent, but that she had done so without informing her office. The DG was also made aware of the fact that the college's attendance record showed that three were lecturers who had not attended the college since the December 7.

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Education schemes worth Rs36m approved
Karachi: The provincial secretary of education approved 27 long- and short-term schemes worth Rs36,507 million on Wednesday. Muhammad Siddiq Memon said that Rs60 million had been allocated to provide computer and Internet facilities to the students at high school and college levels.

Additionally, Rs20 million had been allocated under these schemes for the construction of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto College in Larkana, Rs30 million for the Kazi Ahmed Boys Degree College and Rs20 million for the Pano Aqal Cadet College, he said.

He added that the Sindh Basic Education Scheme was also being initiated with the assistance of the USAID. An upgrade of the existing primary and middle schools was also included in the short-term schemes.

Memon said that the funds for implementing the schemes would be taken from the current year's allocation of Rs5,248 million for education development schemes.

He stated that the schemes had been prepared on the directive of Education Minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq in an effort to improve the education sector in the province. The news

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