University of Health Sciences MBBS entry test

UHS asked to postpone MBBS entry test end of August
Lahore, July 03: The General Council of Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) has recommended that the University of Health Sciences (UHS) be asked to postpone the entry test for admission to the medical colleges until the end of August so that the candidates may have enough time for the preparation, sources in the PMDC said on Friday.

The sources said that the council suggested that the UHS be asked to take the test immediately after the announcement of FSc result in August. The Council members were of the view that the date of entry test was fixed for July 20 while the FSc exams were still in progress, and there would be only two weeks for the students to prepare for the test.

The students at present are on the 2nd year syllabus and traditionally they go through the revision of 1st year syllabus after the exam and usually by joining various tuition centres/academies. It is therefore, evident that the students will not be able to prepare well. In any case there is no plausible hurry to hold the test since the FSc result will be declared towards the end of August or beyond that and holding the test before that carries no logic.

The meeting further said that the eligibility given in the advertisement was a combination of the first year result and a certificate from the principal of the college on the prospects of the candidate. This appeared to be the first such arrangement. Also, thousands would appear and might not have 65 per cent marks qualification when the FSc result was declared. This would become a large exercise without any focus. The UHS data shows that around 14,000 of the 22,000 candidates passed when the criteria was set at 40 per cent passing marks. An in-depth study reveals if the passing marks of 60 per cent were to be applied, the number of successful candidates would drop to 6,000. In 2009, the success rate was 60 per cent with the new criteria it would be 30 per cent (6,000 out of 22,000).

The data shows that aggregate of FSc marks is 890 and the UHS entry test is 672. Thus for a host of reasons, a given set of candidates tend to score 25 per cent marks lesser in the UHS as compared to FSc. Needless to say that FSc system has been evolved over the years and is a better assessment. Logically therefore the UHS pass percentage should be lower around 40 per cent. It may therefore be asked to bring down the previous pass percentage of 40 per cent or evolve a logical percentage in consultation with stake holders. Also, the UHS should follow the minimum FSc marks criteria of 60 per cent as approved by the PMDC.

A review of admissions in the private medical colleges in the last two years reveals that only 30 to 40 per cent of candidates of most colleges achieved more than 60 per cent pass marks criteria. Application of the new criteria as advertised will wipe out 60 to 70 per cent of the prospective affording candidates and leave students/parents in a quandary. With the recent events of Central Asia and few colleges refusing admission in China, the future of a large segment of youth will be jeopardized. The UHS may be asked to revert to the pass percentage of 40 per cent. Doubts have also arisen on whether the UHS is going to follow the decisions of the PMDC General Council on the acceptance of SAT II score of 550 for the Foreign Students and Overseas Pakistanis.

The Council was explicit in its decisions of May 10 where in both the categories were exempted from the entry test. The UHS may be asked to adhere to the decisions of the council in letter and spirit in that SAT II of 550 marks be accepted for Foreigners and Overseas Pakistan. The nation

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Entrance test for engineering varsities
Lahore: The University Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore, on Friday announced the schedule for combined entrance test for admission to engineering universities and colleges of Punjab for which admission forms can be submitted from July 13 to July 28, 2010. The combine test would simultaneously be held on August 8 (Sunday) 2010 at 9am at seven centres, including the UET Lahore, Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), Multan, Islamia University, Bahawalpur (IUB), University ff Gujrat, Gujrat, University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Taxila, Siddeeq Public School, Rawalpindi, and NFC Institute of Engineering, Faisalabad. The news

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PU begins to verify degrees of 313 parliamentarians
Lahore: A 16-member team, comprising of "expert and honest officials" from Punjab University's (PU) "secrecy branch", the examination and registration branch have started the verification process of 313 degrees of parliamentarians, Daily Times learnt on Friday.

This 16-member team will verify the degrees within the deadline announced by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Separately, the PU has exhibited strict security measures to avoid the influence of any parliamentarians.

According to a senior official of the PU, the officials checking the degrees are facing difficulties as these degrees are not saved in the computerised record of the PU and they have to verify them by referring to the old gazette notifications.

Secret Codes: The PU Controller Examination Department following the sensitivity of the matter have given secret codes to the degrees and only the engaged officials are allowed to have access to these codes in order to monitor the process.

Two committees had already been set up for the degree reviewing process. Under the supervision of these two committees, 16 of the PU officials started the verification process of the 313 degrees that were received by the varsity a couple of days ago.

According to the sources, the HEC, a couple of days ago, sent the photocopies of around 419 degrees of various parliamentarians. Around 313 of these were sent to the PU, 106 to the Karachi University while some degrees were sent to universities abroad.

PU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Mujahid Kamran, following the instructions of the HEC, set up a seven-member committee to monitor the process while two other committees were set up for supervision to ensure the transparency of the process.

According to a PU senior official, an internal committee has also been set up, comprising Controller of Examinations Dr Zahid Karim Khan.

This committee will supervise the status of the degree by checking admission forms, role numbers, names, father names and other related documents. It will work in collaboration with the 16-member team and will check the degrees for any faults and objections.

According to the PU Examination Department official, the university has adopted a "highly secretive" method of verifying the degrees by giving secret codes to the degrees, adding that the degrees of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, Chaudhry Nisar, Sardar Asseff Ahmad Ali, Jahangir Badr, Babar Awan, Hamza Shahbaz, Hanif Abbasi, Sameena Ghurki, Sumera Malik, SM Zafar are also included among the 313 degrees. These degrees have also been given codes but specific methods have been adopted to check these degrees in order to nullify any influence or disturbance from elements inside or outside the university.

Re-check: He said that after the approval given by the first committee, the committee set up by the PU VC, headed by the PU Dean of Life Sciences Prof Dr Shahida Hussnain, would review it again and then issue the guarantee of its authenticity.

After the final verification of the degrees by this committee the PU Controller of Examinations will issue a clearance letter, after which the VC will sign the degrees and send them back to the HEC within two weeks. Daily times

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IUB gets 19 degrees for verification
Bahawalpur: The Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) administration has received degrees of 19 MPs for verification.

A source said on Friday that the parliamentarians included six MNAs. The IUB has been asked to return the degrees after verification by July 13. One of the MPAs included in the list is the member of the IUB Syndicate.

The MNAs are Sheikh Aftab Ahmad (NA-57), Tariq Mahmood Bajwa (NA-75), Mudassar Qayyum Nahra (NA-100), Muhammad Hayat Khan (NA-170), Arif Aziz Sheikh (NA-183) and Javed Iqbal Warraich (NA-196).

The MPAs are Saima Aziz (reserved seat), Samina Naveed (reserved seat), Amina Jahangir (reserved seat), Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad (MBBS degree), Mian Shahid Hussain, Dr Tanveerul Islam (MBBS degree), Makhdoom Iftikhar Hasan Gilani, Tariq Amin Hotiyana, Sardar Muhammad Afzal Tutla, Shaukat Mahmood Basra, Qazi Ahmad Saeed, Ijaz Shafi and Baseer Ahmad Khattak. Dawn

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