Punjab university teachers promotion criteria
PU faculty demo against promotion criteria
Lahore, March 18: A number of Punjab University faculty on Wednesday
demonstrated in front of the vice-chancellor's office against unfeasible
promotion criteria for faculty appointed in BPS-I to VI. The
protesters, who had gathered under the banner of PU Administrative and Technical
Staff Association, also objected to technical ambiguities in their service
structure. Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran told media that the
faculty' genuine problems would be resolved by an appropriate committee.
Meanwhile, a PU spokesman said the varsity administration had taken a
serious notice of the fact that a self-styled PUATSA was established without a
lawful authority. "The PU administration does not recognise any such
group as lawful representative body of the administrative and technical
faculty," he said. He said the self-styled union and its constitution
had already been set aside and declared unlawful by a civil court on Feb 25. As
the unlawful association was involved in unauthorised political and group
activities, he said, all the administrative sectional heads had been directed to
ensure that none of their subordinate staff member participated in any rally or
agitational politics of the association. "PU faculty have also been
cautioned that the elements found disrupting official business of university
working and creating hindrance in smooth provision of essential services to
students, teachers and visitors will be proceeded against as per university
rules and service disciplines. Therefore, the faculty should not participate
in any function or event organised by the so-called unelected representatives of
the association," he said. The Islami Jamiat Tulaba on Wednesday organised a "Shining Star Competition" at chemical engineering faculty
ground, where students were given prizes. Electrical engineering student
Tasduq Farid and College of Pharmacy's Sana were awarded first prizes in male
and female categories on the basis of highest percentage of marks obtained in
the last examination. Farid and Sana were given a motorcycle and a laptop,
respectively. Later, Punjab University administration took notice of a self-styled PU Administration and Technical Staff
Association, saying the union is working without approval of the varsity.
According to a press release issued here Wednesday, the PU spokesperson said the
administration did not recognize any such group as lawful representative body of
the administrative & technical faculty. He said the self-styled union and
its constitution had already been set aside and declared unlawful by a civil
court of Lahore on February 25 last. He said the unlawful association was
involved in unauthorized political and group activities. Sectional heads had
been directed to ensure that no one participates in any rally or agitational
politics of the said association, he said.
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PU results announced
Punjab University declared the results of Postgraduate
Diploma (PGD) in Business Administration (evening) semester system, session
2007-08. Dawn
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Protesting UHS staff denied entry
Lahore: The University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Wednesday assured its protesting
employees that grade 1 to 15 contractual employees would be regularised within
10 days. Earlier, the UHS barred its protesting employees from entering
the university premises. The employees were on protest for regularisation in
compliance with the orders of the Punjab government. Nearly 180 contract
employees from grade 1 to 15 of the university were on a three-day pen-down
strike in second phase of their ongoing protest under the banner of the UHS
chapter of the All Pakistan Clerks Association. They had observed a three-day
token strike in the first phase, and following the recent three-day pen-down
strike, they had a plan to stage a sit-in in third phase of the protest, which
they had vowed to continue till fulfillment of their demand. As the
employees arrived in the university on Wednesday morning on third and last day
of their pen-down strike, they found the main gates locked following the UHS
administrations order in order to deny them entry into the university. As told
by security officials, the employees informed the media that Col (Retd) Jawaid
Iqbal, Director (Admn & Coord), had asked the security officials that UHS
Board of Governors Chairman Ishaq Dar issued orders for barring the protesting
from entering into the university. Meanwhile, APCA, Lahore Division,
President Haji Irshad, Senior Vice-President Nadeem Chughtai, Secretary General
Abdul Shakoor and Allama Iqbal Medical College chapter President Lala Aslam also
showed solidarity with the UHS employees by joining their peaceful
protest. The protestors were chanting slogans against the UHS administration,
vice-chancellor and director Admn for their decision not to regularise them in
violation of the Punjab governmentís orders. However, they desisted from
blocking the Shahrah-e-Jamia-e-Punjab. They observed that all other institutions
had complied with the Punjab governments orders and regularised all the
contract employees from grade 1 to 15 but the UHS administration committed
violation of the provincial governments orders and denied its employees the
right. The protestors alleged that the UHS director Admn had sent a
warning message to the employees protesting outside the university that those
who wanted to serve on the contract basis could enter the university and the
rest would be sacked. They said that they had also got another message from the
same university official that all sweepers and employees of the dining hall had
been dismissed from service with the immediate effect as the canteenís contract
had been awarded to an external party. As the protesting employees were
raising slogans against the UHS administration, SP Iqbal Town Nasir Ali Rizvi
and DSP Wahdat Road Naveed Kazmi reached the spot to mediate between the
protestors and the UHS authorities. Following police mediation, UHS VC
Prof Hussain Mubashar Malik and Registrar Dr Asad Zaheer held negotiations with
the APCA office-bearers Haji Irshad, Nadeem Chughtai, Abdul Shakoor and Lala
Aslam in the presence of SP Nasir Ali Rizvi and DSP Naveed Kazmi for over an
hour and later assured the representatives of the protestors that all the
contract employees from grade 1 to 15 would be regularised after the due process
within 10 days. Upon this assurance, the employees called off their protest and
postponed it till March 27, and they vowed to resume their protest if the UHS
did not fulfill its promise within 10 days. The UHS VC also formed a
committee, which would include two representatives of the UHS contract employees
and one APCA representative, to present the case of regularisation before the
Board of Governors in its meeting on March 22. Meanwhile, the UHS
spokesman released a statement here on Wednesday that the UHS had initiated the
process of regularisation of its employees. The draft of change in the Service
Statutes would be sent to the Health Department soon. The process of
regularisation involved the approval of Health Department, UHS Syndicate, Board
of Governors and finally Punjab governor. A meeting in this regard is scheduled
to be held at Health Department on March 19,î the spokesman concluded. The news
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Kinnaird college self-financed seats admissions
Lahore: The Punjab Higher Education Department has asked the Kinnaird
College's board of governors (BoG) to approve admissions to self-financed seats
as well as re-advertise registrar's post and appoint a suitable candidate.
The department took action on the report of a tribunal made by the chief
minister to look into the college affairs after Principal Dr Bernadette L Dean
removed three contract teachers as well as repatriated the services of four
senior regular teachers to the Punjab Higher Education Department, allegedly for
expressing reservations about the appointment of Dr Naima Khursheed as college
registrar. The action triggered protests by teachers and students, and
they wrote an application to BoG Chairman Dr Bishop Alexander John Malik
explaining their reservations and demanding review of the registrar's
appointment decision. Though the KC BoG had made a three-member inquiry
committee to investigate into the complaint filed by college faculty members,
however, no report was made public. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif early
this year made a five-member inquiry tribunal, led by AZK Sherdil. The tribunal
in its report stated anomalies in admissions to self-finance seats and objected
to the appointment of the registrar. The tribunal also dismissed principal's
action against teachers as victimisation. The tribunal stated that the
principal provided computer-generated record of admissions of self-financed
candidates. The BoG had allowed admission on self-finance basis against 30 seats
(10 per cent of total general seats). In 2004, the quota of these seats was
increased to 40 seats, while the principal admitted 67 students in FSc
pre-medical and pre-engineering and 16 in graduate classes without seeking
approval from the BoG.The tribunal reported that the college had 34 accounts
with four banks for which no explanation was offered. The budget of the college
for year 2009-2010 was not in candid form. About the appointment of Dr
Khursheed as registrar, the tribunal observed that her appointment offended the
faculty members and Dr Khursheed did not possess the required administrative
experience. The tribunal recommended that the admissions on self-finance basis
over and above the sanctioned strength should be placed before the BoG for
approval because any other intervention at this stage would be
counterproductive. It suggested that the BoG should re-advertise the registrar's
post and select a suitable person with requisite qualification and experience. Dawn
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Punjab dysfunctional schools
Lahore: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) will manage the affairs of 1,006
dysfunctional public sector schools in the province in collaboration with the
private sector. In the pilot phase, 100 such schools will be handed over to the
selected partners. According to a press release on Wednesday, the PEF
arranged a session in a local hotel to which 11 NGOs were
invited. PEF-Director CPDP Maleeha Batool briefed the participants on
various features of the private-public partnership of the foundation. She said
the school buildings of 685 dysfunctional institutions were quite intact and
they could be immediately taken over to start classes. According to the plan, the
NGOs will appoint teachers and other staff to teach students while the PEF will
provide financial assistance and text books. It may be added that the PEF is
already bearing educational expenses of 800,000 deserving students in the
province, for which a sum of Rs5 billion is being utilised.
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Nursing result distinction
Lahore: The nursing students of Shalamar Hospital Nursing College have secured the first and third
positions in the third professional examination of the University of Health
Sciences, Lahore. According to a press release here on Wednesday, Shagufta
Rehman stood first and Rabia Hanif got third position in the examination. The
result of Shalamar Hospital Nursing College remained 100 per cent. Shalamar
Hospital Chief Executive Dr Rashid Ahmad and College Dean Miss Burnice Taverner
congratulated the position holders. The news
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