Jinnah Medical College PMDC recognition

PMDC to review recognition of Jinnah Medical College
Peshawar, July 24: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) is set to re-inspect the Jinnah Medical College and review recognition of the institution which according to sources was awarded through dubious means.

After the concern expressed by parents of the students at various forums that the college had been recognized by the PMDC through fake presentation made by the owner of the college, the council decided to review its recognition.

An inspection team of the PMDC, the sources said, would visit the college situated on Warsak Road to inspect its facilities. The most interesting aspect of the registration of the institution is that the Khyber Medical University has not yet accorded affiliation to the college for lack of facilities, but the management of the college managed to get it recognized by the PMDC.

The PMDC has not yet given recognition to several public sector medical colleges in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. These include Bannu Medical College, Bacha Khan Medical College Mardan and Rahman Medical College Peshawar despite having well-equipped buildings, facilities and qualified staff. But the rules apparently weren't followed in case of the Jinnah Medical College, the sources said.

The parents alleged that the owner of the college Dr Ishaq managed to get his college recognized from PMDC in January 2009 even though it lacked in many respects. Parents enrolled their wards in the institution thinking that it was PMDC recognized and would be having required facilities for medical education, a member of the parents' action committee of the college said.

A total of 100 students are enrolled in the college in the first and second year MBBS course. The parents are worried about the future of their wards and have requested the chief justice of Pakistan, PMDC and the top government functionaries to shift the students to other institutions and take action against the management of the college. They also want fresh admissions to the college stopped.

The parents also called for action against the officials of PMDC who played role in recognition of the college. The college fees, according to the parents, are also on the high side. The annual fee of the college is Rs525,000 per student, while charges at Kabeer Medical College are Rs390,000 and Peshawar Medical College Rs425,000.

The students of the college interviewed by this correspondent argued that the college didn't have adequate facilities for medical education. They pointed out that the college was set up in a private bungalow and it didn't have a proper lecture theatre, laboratory or library.

According to the students, the teachers listed on the faculty weren't teaching at the college. "A few junior doctors take classes at the college," a student alleged. Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary had taken suo moto notice of the non-recognition and lack of facilities in the college after protests by the students in 2007. He had directed the police to arrest the college owner Dr Ishaq. The chief justice had also asked the PMDC about the possibility of recognizing the college if its functioning was improved.

The PMDC at that time had replied that there was no chance of the recognition of the college because of several shortfalls at the institution. But two years later the PMDC recognized the college.

Owner of the college could not be reached for comments despite many attempts on all his available numbers. This reporter also paid visit to the college to meet the owner and seek his comments, but to no avail.

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UET entry test on August 1
Peshawar: Entrance test for admission to undergraduate engineering and non-engineering programmes of the University of Engineering & Technology (UET), Peshawar, will be held on August 1 in Peshawar and Abbottabad simultaneously.

The Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) will conduct the test. Candidates having domicile of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas, seeking admission in engineering programmes of UET Peshawar on open merit or reserved quotas or non-subsidised scheme or reciprocal basis will be required to qualify the entrance test.

Candidates seeking admission in non-engineering programmes - computer science and architecture - will also have to appear in the entrance test. Application forms for the entrance test can be obtained from Habib Bank Ltd, Peshawar University Campus Branch, and the offices of the coordinators, Abbottabad, Mardan and Bannu campuses of the university, on cash payment of Rs1,100. The forms can also be downloaded from the university's website. The last date for submission of entrance test admission forms is July 26. Directorate of admissions of UET Peshawar will remain open on Saturday and Sunday up to 4 p.m. The news

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Four-year bachelor programme unveiled
Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to introduce four-year bachelor degree programme aimed at bringing education level in the province at par with international standard.

"The programme will be introduced as a pilot project in some of the postgraduate and degree colleges, and commence from the current academic session starting from Sept 1, 2010," said Higher Education Director Prof (Dr) Mukaram Khan.

Nineteen colleges -- 15 postgraduate and four degree colleges for boys and girls -- would start the programme in the existing financial resources, he said, adding that later it would be implemented in all the colleges of the province.

The students opting for the programme will have to pay Rs3,000 each per annum

Initially it would be introduced in the colleges in Kohat, Bannu, Saidu Sharif, Swat, Mardan, Nowshera, Charsadda, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Temergara and Peshawar.

The new programme is part of the National Education Policy with the changed curriculum fulfilling the criteria of the international standard, the official added.

It is worth mentioning here that the University of Peshawar (UoP) has already implemented the four-year bachelor degree programme in different disciplines of the university, though it is costly.

The university charges Rs17,000 to Rs19,000 per annum from the students.

Once the programme is implemented in all the colleges, intermediate classes would be shifted to the higher secondary schools instead of colleges, he said.

When asked about generation of financial resources for the programme, he said it would be implemented in the existing budget.

"We have infrastructure already and teachers also, so there will be no burden on the national exchequer," he said.

About the status of the present two-year BA/BSc degree, he said students would have an option to choose one of the two programmes.

But, he added, the two-year BA/BSc would be an associate degree not a full one.

The students intending to get higher education in foreign countries would be the ultimate beneficiaries of the four-year programme as they would be eligible to take admission in MPhil after postgraduation in Pakistan under the new programme, the official said.

In foreign countries bachelor degree is completed in 16 years, while in Pakistan with two-year degree programme the same takes four years.

So, when the students with master's degree go abroad for higher education they are asked to first do master in the respective subject and then allowed to take admission in the MPhil. Dawn

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