Karachi University cafeteria memories | New education policy

KU cafeteria adding charming memories to students' lives
Karachi, July 11: What name comes into your mind when you think of an institution, where 24000 students are being served with various edibles at reasonable prices? The answer could not be other than the University of Karachi (KU). Regardless of whether you are a student or a teacher, if you want to have any sort of good meal during the university timings then no place is more attractive than "KU Main Cafeteria" (famous as PG within the campus). Surrounded by trees, a number of canteens are present in this impressive environment providing a variety of food to the students at reasonable rates.

The food items including "Chinese Rice", "Biryani", "Chaat" and famous "Aloo Samosa" etc. are usually available there. The famous "Samosa" and "Chaat" are specially liked by the students due to their splendid and delicious taste, The News has learnt.

Students also seem satisfactory with these canteens since they find a variety of food available at a single place. Ahsan Omer, a student of the department of economics said, "I usually prefer coming here for a lunch because I think it is the most suitable place in the whole campus where you can find different types of food items at a very cheap rate."

A Turkish student of KU, Mehmat Otayao exclaimed with excitement when asked about the environment of the place, "I have never found such place anywhere, different types of food are available for us at a very low cost here. I love to eat in the shadow of these trees". A student of the department of mass communication, Humna Mehwish was of the opinion that proper seating arrangement was needed since most of the students have to eat while standing which seems quite odd.

However, few students complained about the poor hygienic condition. A student, Ahsan Raza Firdousi said that though all the food items are sold here at a very reasonable price but cleanliness of the place is usually neglected. "We are curious about the way that a food is cooked and ingredients used", he asserted.

But the owners of the different canteens rejected the perception that proper aseptic conditions were ignored while preparing the meals. While talking to The News, Mr. Zafar, owner of a canteen at KU cafeteria said, "It is not true that we don't maintain proper sanitary and hygienic conditions here. Fresh vegetables, meat and other ingredients are brought from the market on daily basis, and the staff officers inspect the canteens frequently". Another canteen owner, Mr. Anwar claimed that each and every food item available there has a price much lower than the market rates. A single plate of "Biyani" which costs 60 rupees out of the campus can be purchased here for just Rs 30. We are here to serve the students by providing quality product to them at low rates. It is due to the remarkable sale of our food items that we still manage to survive", he added.

However, the complaint regarding the quality of food and hygienic conditions is something that can be dealt by keeping a proper check by the KU administration. The bottom line is that these cafeterias are contributing a memorable part to the students' lives. The rush, the trees, and long lines of students buying food are something the students of KU want to remember. -By Ibtesam Mazahir (The News)

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No progress sans scientific research: minister
Karachi: Federal Minister for Education, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarni, on Friday said that the new 'national educational policy' would be approved in the next meeting of the federal cabinet. Financial crunch is the major hurdle in setting up new public universities in the over-populated city of the country, although the government is planning to construct news varsities in the city.

He expressed these notions while talking to journalists after the closing ceremony of 5-day thematic workshop in frontier technologies on "Enhanced Production on Recombinant Bio-molecules of Commercial Importance', held at Dr A Q Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (KIBGE), Karachi University. The workshop was jointly organised by the (KIBGE) in collaboration with Higher Education Commission (HEC) and COMSTECH. To a query, he said that three provinces, including Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, had send their recommendations on the national educational policy, while it was expected that NWFP would send its recommendations on Monday. There is no obstacle in the restoration of students' unions in the country, he said.

Earlier in his closing speech, he said, keeping in view the importance of science, his government was taking concrete steps through National Commission on Biotechnology, such steps would restore confidence and support for the biotech research and industry.

He said that the intensification of agriculture had led to serious health and environmental issues resultantly the world had to face the problems like severe salinity, misuse of pesticide and degradation of natural resources. It is therefore, not surprising to witness the ever-increasing opposition of further biotechnological applications, especially those arising from genetically modification of microbial, plant and animal cells. In order to establish the real need for all types of biotechnology, it is required developing countries to realise three major climatic zones, as temperate zones of the developed world, tropical zones of developing countries as well as the arid zones of developing countries. This is a fact that over 90 percent of biotechnological research and development are underway in the temperate zones of our world. Health, poverty and starvation are the most serious problems of the developing countries."

He said people were the real wealth of any nation; we have not been able to create an environment in which people may develop their full potential and lead productive lives in accordance with their needs and interests.

"I am absolutely hopeful that that our present biotechnological knowledge will be able to abolish the health and poverty problems, with the reduction or even eradication of starvation in arid zones, using genetically modified agriculture. It should therefore be possible to create an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive and creative lives; in accordance with their needs and interests.

Since most of the biotechnology research and development is concentrated in the temperate climatic zones, a closer cooperation has to occur to facilitate adaptation of old and newly developed technologies to the appropriate climatic zone, and the local environment. If industry, science base, consumers and pressure groups work together, we can help ensure that the sector fulfils its potential to improve the quality of life in our country," he said.

The closing ceremony was also attended and addressed by KU Vice chancellor, Professor Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, Dean, Faculty of Science Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi, Director General KIBGE Prof Syed Irtifaq, Prof Dr Muhammad Waheed Akhtar of School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab and Co-Director KIBGE Prof Dr Abid Azhar. The Nation

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