KEMU college status | AIMC demoting librarians

Governor opposes revision of status for KEMU
Lahore, Feb 10: Punjab Governor and King Edward Medical University (KEMU) Chancellor Salmaan Taseer has opposed the government's proposal to revert the institution's status to college, according to sources sources.

The proposal was put forward by Health Secretary Dr Anwar Khan in the first meeting of the KEMU senate on Monday. He said the Punjab government was finding it difficult to fulfill the varsity's expenditures.

The governor responded that the decision about the institution's status was not the chief minister's to maket. Sources said the meeting had been called earlier than planned to prevent any move to revert the institute's status. The meeting was held at the KEMU and a budget of Rs 521 million was approved. Officials in the administration said the bulk of the budget was to be provided by the government.

The meeting also gave the governor the authority to appoint two deans to the senate and one member of the finance committee. The KEMU spokesman said that a decision to revert the varsity's status was not under consideration, adding that it could not be done unless a two-thirds majority in the assembly approved it. He also confirmed that the Senate's meeting had been called earlier.

KEMU approves Rs462 million budget
Lahore: The first meeting of the Senate of the King Edward Medical University, chaired by Punjab Governor Salman Taseer on Monday, approved a draft of rules and regulations, unanimously proposed by the syndicate and the academic council while Rs462 million budget of the university was also approved for 2008-09.

The senate meeting, however, decided to present the final draft of the rules and regulations for final approval of the chancellor after making necessary amendments in view of the reservations of certain senate members. The governor, as chancellor of the university, was also delegated the authority to nominate two professors, serving on the posts of deans, as members of the syndicate.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Salman Taseer said the government was providing Rs380 million annual recurring grant to the university, while several development schemes were also being executed. He categorically stated that the fees of the students would not be increased.However, in order to generate more revenue for the university, the governor directed the KEMU administration to try to elicit grants and resources, required to accomplish medical research projects, from international foundations, philanthropists and expatriate Pakistanis, who were always ready to support. He was of the view that the King Edward Medical College was the second medical institution in the subcontinent- a medical institution established in Calcutta was the first such institution in the region. The KEMC's graduates had established their worth in America, Britain, Middle East and other developed countries of the world, he said.

KEMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Zafarullah Khan said the university was offering MBBS, BDS, Physiotherapy, Nursing and Allied Health Sciences courses of international standard in addition to 31 postgraduate diplomas duly recognised by the PMDC, which made the university as the biggest medical education institution in the country. The enrollment of students had crossed 3,000-mark in a year, he said. The VC said the university had launched 50 research projects at a cost of Rs10 million at MPhil and PhD levels. In the e-library, students had access to 25,000 medical books and 90,000 medical journals, he said, adding that the university had generated Rs77.2 million through tuition fees in the last year in addition to receiving Rs380 million recurring grant from the federal and provincial governments.

He said the university, like other medical institutions of the country, was charging meager Rs10,000 annual fee from each student admitted on open merit, while foreign students were paying $10,000 annual fee in the university. In this way, he said, the university had been able to collect $1.8 million income, which had been contributed towards endowment fund of the university. In the last 10 years, the income generated from students admitted under self-finance scheme had also been deposited in the endowment fund, he said, adding that the university was getting Rs18 million profit from the endowment fund, which was spent on students' welfare. The News

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AIMC slammed for 'demoting' librarians
Lahore: The teachers and students of Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC) have condemned the AIMC and Jinnah Hospital administrations for advertising the post of librarian in BS-8, calling it a humiliation to the coveted post.

The post was normally in BS-17 or BS-18. Library Science experts said the post could not be referred to as the post of a librarian if it was of BS-08. The students said the administration's decision had damaged the repute of Library Science. They have made an appeal to the government to restore the post's dignity by taking quick action against the administration.

According to details, the advertisement made by the AIMC and Jinnah Hospital had advertised the librarian posts in BS-08 and assistant librarian in BS-06, while the post of stenographers had been advertised in BS-12 in the same advertisement. It stated the prerequisite to the post was a pass at intermediate level and had a certificate in library science. The experts said the post of a librarian should require a minimum qualification of a graduate degree in library science. They said it would be unjust to appoint a person with just a certificate in the subject as a librarian, adding that if no graduate degrees would be required for such posts then there should be no graduate degrees to begin with. They said librarians appointed at the Mayo Hospital's Ophthalmology Department had been appointed in BS-11 three years ago, adding that their file for promotion in BS-17 was currently pending with Health Secretary Anwar Ahmad Khan.

Punjab University Library and Information Science Department Chairman Dr Khalid Mahmood said a person in BS-08 could not be called a librarian, adding that it was condemnable and deplorable to advertise the post of a librarian in BS-08. He said: "The post of Librarian is of BS-17. It is a coveted post and has its dignity. The post should not be degraded by anyone in any way."

Responsible: Government College University (GCU) Chief Librarian Abdul Waheed said any person with anything less than a graduate degree in library science could not be appointed as a librarian. He said librarians should strongly protest against the advertisement. He said: "The librarian of the AIMC is also responsible for it. He should have spoken up against the administration when this decision had not been finalised. At some places deputy chief librarian's are in BS-18, while in others in BS-19. The BS of librarians cannot be below BS-16."A library and information sciences student, seeking anonymity, said it was disheartening that the post of librarian had been declared to be in a pay scale of BS-08. She questioned the government of its 'top priorities', questioning how the government's top priorities could be health and education if it was decreasing the scale of librarians to BS-08. She also questioned the need for a graduate degree in the subject if any intermediate pass could perform the task of a librarian.

AIMC Principal Dr Javed Akram said he had not been aware of the change of scale, adding that he could only comment on the issue if he knew the details. Health Additional Secretary Dr Mushtaq agreed that it was against the dignity of a librarian to employ him in BS-08. He said he would probe into the matter.

KCWU wins LCCI debating competition
Lahore: Kinnaird College for Women University (KCWU) won the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) debating competition titled 'Utilities, Mismanagement or Shortage', arranged by the LCCI Standing Committee on Education on Saturday.

LCCI President Mian Muzaffar Ali presided over the competition. The competition was held to motivate the youth to come up with innovative ideas and participate in economical activities of the country.

Convener Faisal Iqbal Sheikh urged the students to prepare themselves for emerging global challenges of the 21st Century. Daily Times

USB for Urdu based scientific knowledge
Lahore: The Urdu Science Board (USB) is working on various publishing projects with the cooperation of other departments to promote urdu based knowledge in science, social, medical and technical subjects. Talking to mediamen here Monday, Director General USB, Iqbal Nabi Nadeem said that the Board which is functioning under the ministry of education has so far published over 750 books including dictionary and encyclopedia. Apart from removing existing shortcomings in urdu translated subjects of science and technical, the board is taking further measures to prepare material in urdu language for the students of secondary and high schools, he added. He said that the Board provided 2,850 encyclopedia books free of cost to libraries and educational institutions having good repute in the country. App

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