National internship programme verification

No further verification required for NIP-2008 applicants
Islamabad, Jan 23: Those applicants who applied in NIP- 2008 but were not provided internship earlier due to late verification by HEC and Nadra, but they qualify for NIP-2009-10 criteria, no further verification is required and they shall be provided internship immediately.

A meeting of the National Internship Programme to discuss the NIP related issues was held here under the chairmanship of Secretary and Ministry of Youth Affairs Shahid Hussain Bhutto. Different issues related to applicants of NIP-2008 program and those of the current NIP-2009-10 program were discussed in detail.

Applicants may be facilitated through online process to amend their online forms and place additional information regarding their bank Accounts. The meeting decided that with immediate effect no prior contract to be signed with selected interns. The interns shall be required to sign contract at the time of joining at Ministry, Department, District Government or any other Organization and a copy of the signed contract will be sent to NIP management, Ministry of Youth Affairs.

Information on new policy on contract signing at the time of joining should also be placed on the website for the information of selected interns, the meeting decided. The Provincial Governments also be immediately informed accordingly.

The meeting further decided that all those applicants who have provided bank information in Islamabad zone shall be placed in the Ministries without further delay after due process of their cases. By Monday January, 25, 2010 all information regarding bank accounts received through email by NIP would be placed in the database and it shall be updated. A search engine for updating the applicants on latest status of their cases in NIP will be positioned on the website not later than 25 January 2010.

State of art equipment and machinery including generator shall be provided to the NIP. The DG NIP to provide a requisition of all necessary equipment to SJS on urgent basis to avoid disruptions which are being encountered due to non availability of electricity and equipments.

The NIP Toll free telephone to be restored and should be fully operational from 0800 hrs to 2200 hrs daily.

NIP officials were directed to visit Ministries, Provinces and other offices where interns are placed to monitor the presence of interns. Adequate support and assistance and guidance must be provided to new interns who have recently joined the Ministry of Youth Affairs.

Shifting arrangements of NIP to 10th floor as desired by the Minister must be completed by January 30. The ongoing work for shifting of NIP office particularly in new computer room must be supervised by the technical team of NIP.

To ensure support and assistance to talented youth from low income groups in remaining cases selection must be based on Merit as per Provincial shares and assistance of Nadra may be obtained to assess the income of the family of the applicant.

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Shortage of accommodation facilities
Islamabad: Students and employees in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are facing problems due to shortage of accommodation facilities and high rents of hostels.

Mostly students come from far distance areas and belong to middle class families, who cannot afford much amount for residence. Ayesha, a student of a university said that average hostels offering private accommodation are charging from Rs5,000 to Rs9,000 for a single person which is beyond the limits of students. She complained these hostels also lacked proper cleaning and food facilities.

Sources in the police department said that private hostels did not follow rules of registration before renting out their rooms. "Many such hostels did not even hire security guard", they added.

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Science teachers shortage
Islamabad: The major issue of concern is the shortage of teachers as according to a recent study two-thirds of schools do not have science teachers while teachers of other subjects are often not specialised in their respective fields.

Renowned economist Dr. Kaiser Bengali shared these thoughts in the launching ceremony of 'A Policy Scan of the Official Development Assistance' organised by the Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) here on Friday.

He said that the situation in private institutions was also not very pleasing as they have written the names of renowned professors in their brochures and prospectuses but none of them was actually associated with them. "The academic institutions prepare brochures in order to fulfil the criteria of Higher Education Commission and to attract students," he said.

Kaiser Bengali said that the second major factor was the absence of laboratories in schools and colleges. "Ninety per cent of the schools don't have laboratories and their science students appear in practicals after reading the theory only," he added.

He said that books and journals were also very expensive and most of the institutions could not just afford them in order to facilitate their students. "The donors could provide these books and journals to the institutions and in this way they could contribute towards the education in a better way," he said.

The last factor he identified was the provision of scholarships so that students could go abroad for higher studies and on their return they could contribute to the progress of country.

While presenting the recommendations, PCE Member Mukhtar Ahmed Ali stressed on the need for increasing the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) in education sector. "Donors must ensure that they are paying for outcomes and not for inputs as this approach would be far more beneficial to make aid more effective," he said.

He said that the share of grant in the ODA, especially for the education sector, should be at least 50 per cent. "For least developed countries, facing serious challenges like internal violent conflicts, all ODA for education sector may be in the form of grants," he added.

He said that government must ensure that, while ODA goes up, it also shows commitment to increased budgetary allocations for education from its own resources. "Maximum transparency about ODA committed and disbursed as well as about allocations and expenditures from government's own kitty would help civil society, media and electorates in monitoring the trends and holding the relevant authorities accountable," he said.

Chairman Standing Committee on Education Abid Sher Ali said that billion of rupees have been wasted on the project of previous government namely 'Parha Likha Punjab'.

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Teachers regularisation case
Rawalpindi: Justice Asad Munir of the Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi Bench, here on Friday directed the Ministry of Education to submit its reply within three weeks in a case of five teachers seeking regularisation of their jobs.

All petitioners have been serving the National Institute of Science and Technical Education (Niste) for last five years.

These teachers adopted before the court that they have been teaching at the Niste for last five years. As per government policy, they were to be regularised after three-year service. According to them, they should be regularised as per the Supreme Court judgment.

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Preston varsity roundtable
Islamabad: Preston University organised a routable on 'The Foreign Policy of Azerbaijan: Affecting Factors and Strategic Priorities,' at the Islamabad campus of the university Friday, says a press release.

Eminent educationalists and experts in international and regional affairs presented papers on the topic of the seminar. Eynulla Madatli, ambassador of Azerbaijan was the chief guest on the occasion. Ambassador of Jordan Dr. Saleh Al-Jawarneh graced the event as the guest of honour.

In his keynote address, as the chief guest, the ambassador of Azerbaijan, highlighted various aspects of the foreign policy of Azerbaijan. He said on the occasion that Naghorno Karabagh is the biggest problem confronting Azerbaijan today, because Armenia has illegal occupation over Naghorno Karabagh.

He said that 20th of January is marked as a black day in the history of Azerbaijan. Twenty years ago, on this day.

The Soviet forces attacked the capital of Azerbaijan, in which 137 citizens were killed, over 700 people injured and 800 people was arrested without any reason.

In his brief remarks on the occasion, the Ambassador of Jordan. Dr. Saleh Al-Jawarneh said that unity among the Muslim countries is the need of the hour. Resolution of the Kashmir issue and Naghorono Karabagh lies in the unity in the ranks of the Muslim world, he said.

Earlier in his welcome address, Dr. Abdul Basit, Chancellor Preston University expressed his profound gratitude to the guests.

Speaking on the subject, Dr. Basit emphasised that due to its strategic geographic location Azerbaijan enjoys a special place in the comity of world nations. He informed the participants that Turkey and Pakistan were the first countries of the world which recognised Azerbaijan as an independent state. The news

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