Karachi University MA exams's schedule | Manhandling of teachers

Karachi University MA exams from June 15
Karachi, May 06: The University of Karachi (KU) Examination Department has announced that annual examination 2008 of MA Previous and Final (Regular & External) will commence from June 15 instead of notified already mentioned date, May 25, 2009.

BS exams rescheduled
Karachi: The University of Karachi has announced that terminal examinations of BS first and second years have been rescheduled.

According to the Dean of Arts Faculty Dr Mohammad Shamsuddin, the university has decided to postpone the exams scheduled for May 12. Now the exams would be conducted on June 1, he said, adding that timings of exams would remain unchanged.

BEd suppl exams
Karachi: The University of Karachi has notified that forms of BEd supplementary exams 2008 will be accepted with a late fee of Rs700 along with the original fee of Rs2,300 from May 7 to 9. Candidates have been advised to submit the forms in their respective colleges. Ppi

FUUAST BA, B.Com and MA (Private) improving of division forms
Karachi: Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST) has announced the form submission date for BA, B.Com and MA (Private) annual examination 2008 for the candidates interested in improving their division.

The forms can be received and submitted till May 18, 2009. A FUUAST communique further stated that candidates interested in improving division are to take examination of all the papers of Part-II, while they can take examination of any paper of Part-I. The News

Post your comments

Superintendent of exam centre chased by students
Karachi: In a highly alarming incident, a superintendent of an examination centre was chased and threatened with dire consequences by candidates who were taking their Intermediate examinations at the North Karachi Govt Degree Boys College on Tuesday.

The superintendent of the examination centre set up at Govt Degree Boys Degree College, Sector 7-D/2, North Karachi, located near Anda Morr, Prof Saeed-uz-Zafar, who is also the principal of the same college, was chased by some unscrupulous elements and had to take refuge in a bank.

The dispute centred on the deployment of Rangers by the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi at the examination centre.

Prof Saeed-uz-Zafar said that some candidates and outsiders had been asking him for the last couple of days to withdraw the Rangers, but because they had been deployed there at the request of the BIEK, he had expressed his helplessness in this regard.

He said that some candidates and outsiders, who were of the view that the Rangers had been deployed at the centre on his request, chased him as soon as Tuesday's paper came to an end, forcing him to take refuge in a bank near Hassan Square.

"When I was in the bank, I received two calls on my cellular phone and the callers asked me to recite Kalma, saying menacingly that it was the last day of my life," Prof Zafar said, adding that upon receiving such threatening calls he immediately contacted the office bearers of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association and the Chairman of the BIEK, Prof Anwar Ahmed Zai.

"Shortly afterwards, BIEK chairman Prof Zai rushed a security guard and a car to the bank where I had taken refuge and policemen belonging to the Aziz Bhatti police station, who had also reached there, escorted me to my house," Prof Zafar added.

Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) held here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of its president, Prof Ather Mirza, condemned the incident, saying that teachers of the college have decided to boycott the examination being conducted at the North Karachi Govt Degree College.

The meeting also demanded that the BIEK chairman, the provincial director-general colleges and the regional director (colleges) shift the examination centre from the North Karachi Govt Degree College to some other college.

The SPLA also warned that the teaching community would be forced to take an "extreme step" if a similar incident took place during the examinations in the future.

32 candidates caught cheating

BIEK vigilance teams on Tuesday caught 32 candidates using unfair means in the examinations.

Meanwhile, prolonged power outages continued to take place at various examination centres.

A number of candidates complained that they could not perform well in their examinations as there was no electricity at their examination centres for more than one-and-a-half hours.

Two different inspection teams, comprising BIEK chairman Prof Anwar Ahmed Zai, provincial director-general (colleges), BIEK secretary Prof Haider Ali Naveen, regional director (colleges) Prof Munawar Shafiq, deputy controller of examinations Javaid Farooqui, and deputy secretary Imran Chisti, paid surprise visits to a number of colleges in order to catch incidents of cheating. Dawn

Manhandling of teachers: SPLA to boycott exam centre in North Karachi
Karachi: Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) announced on Tuesday that it will boycott the ongoing intermediate examinations in North Karachi Degree College, over the manhandling of teachers performing invigilation duties in a Karachi college.

According to details, an emergency meeting of SPLA was held with its president Professor Athar Hussain in chair. The meeting was attended by SPLA office-bearers from centre, Karachi region and town bodies. The meeting was told that some rouge elements asked teachers deputed as supervisors and invigilators for ongoing examinations at Government Degree College, North Karachi to allow their favourite candidates to use unfair means in the exam. On their refusal, they threatened and manhandled them.

They chased away the college principal who took shelter in the branch of a local bank, from where a police party saved him and escorted him home. The meeting, strongly condemning the incident, decided that teachers would completely boycott the exams in this college from Wednesday. ppi

BIEK turns down exam forms of hundreds of private candidates
Karachi: The Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) turned down examination forms of hundreds of private candidates while many regular candidates suffered a great deal since their respective colleges did not submit their forms on time, it has been learnt.

There was total chaos at the BIEK premises on Tuesday, especially at counters dealing with examination forms. The situation eventually deteriorated to such an extent that a police mobile was called on to control the situation. Hundreds of private candidates, especially women, tore up their examination forms after they were refused by the counter for submission of their examination forms. Regular candidates also faced serious problems initially, but their forms were entertained later.

Sources said that some government and private colleges did not submit examination forms of their candidates despite the passage of the deadline. Candidates, both private and regular, turned up at the BIEK on Tuesday to submit these forms along with late fee but they were refused.

Sources said that according to BIEK Chairman Anwar Ahmed Zai, there was no fault of regular candidates in late submission of forms. Zai had informed the Director General Colleges Rafiq Ahmed Siddiqi in black and white and also asked him for an inquiry against the concerned colleges and requested for necessary action against them.

Keeping in view the future of these students, the chairman allowed regular candidates to submit their forms till 8pm as many of them had to take their exam the next morning, sources said. However, the BIEK charged Rs2,000 per candidate as late fee in addition to their examination fee despite acknowledging that the delay occurred on the part of the colleges.

Meanwhile, private candidates were turned away, following which, some students tore their forms and the situation became chaotic. Interestingly, the policemen who were called on for ensuring law and order got engaged in submitting examination forms of the candidates against petty amounts.

Sources further said that regular students were allowed to submit the forms so that their academic year could be saved but the BIEK could not justify as to why they refused private candidates. Moreover, allowing eleventh hour submission of examination forms the BIEK also put on stake the credibility of 75 per cent compulsory attendance at colleges for being eligible to take exam since many of the regular candidates did not attend their colleges the whole year.

Post your comments

Saving schools in Orangi
Karachi: The Orangi Pilot Project's (OPP) model of the 'School Saving Program' has encouraged small-scale private schools in Orangi to start an investment scheme whereby they invest money every month from their earnings, which in turn is utilised to upgrade schools and improve their standards, it has been learnt.

According to Salma Mir of the Research and Training Institute (RTI), of the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP), "The OPP came up with the idea of forming saving groups in the education sector after studying the pattern of similar groups established in other countries. Therefore, in 2004 the OPP along with a school group named the United Education Development Society formed the first saving group in Orangi."

The School Saving Programme now comprises four groups altogether. Two of them belong to the Orangi Town; whereas one is situated in Baldia Town and the other one in SITE. "The first group in Orangi currently comprises 25 schools which over a period of five years have saved up to Rs2,15,000. The second saving group in Orangi is a newly formed one, comprising six schools and has saved up to Rs6,000 to date."

While explaining the function of these groups, Mir said, "The OPP gives a grant of Rs50,000 to each saving group to help them get on their feet. After that the schools move ahead with the formation of the groups. Every month, schools deposit a certain amount of money in the bank. If the schools need money the administrations can then acquire the required amount from the deposited money. This money is then used to improve the infrastructure of the institutions, to buy lab equipments and other electrical equipments such as fans and tube lights. Every month, the schools also meet up to discuss their problems, share ideas and hold discussions on how to further develop their schools", added Mir. -By Rabia Ali

Post your comments

SZABIST band earns spoonful of success
Karachi: Spoonful, a Karachi-based underground rock band, was formed in December 2006. The band consists of Hamad Khan at lead guitar and vocals, Jasir Abro on bass and guitars, Ali Haider Habib, also on bass and guitars, and Abdul Aziz Kazi on drums and percussion.

"We got together in Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), as all of us study in the same class," Habib said. "Our first gig together was at a talent show at SZABIST. Since we were friends before we started a band, it seemed natural for us to do this, and I can safely say we gel together pretty well when playing live."

Spoonful usually has a play list containing classic rock music from the sixties, seventies, and eighties, although side by side, the band does well with contemporary rock such as music by the Foo Fighters. Primarily, however, Spoonful covers artists such as Black Sabbath, Santana, Deep Purple, and the Beatles.

"It was mainly because of a love of loud guitar music that, Jasir, Hamad and I started playing," said Habib. "With the addition of an amazing drummer, we've earned quite a following. Aziz is probably the most popular and critically revered member of the band. Show after show, people ask him how he does what he does."

Like with many underground bands in Karachi, many have asked Spoonful why most of the the group plays is in English. The answer lies in the fact that the vocalist sings better in English, and English music is where the band seeks inspiration from.

Although satisfied with what they are doing, Spoonful is not happy about the future of both underground and mainstream music in the city owing to increasing insecurity in the city, lack of record labels, and decreasing investment in the field.

"The number of gigs and concerts has drastically decreased over the last year-and-a-half," Abro said. "Because of security threats, people have stopped attending public gatherings, which has left underground musicians, who gain popularity only with live music, with no way out."

Abro added that a number of record labels owned by TV channels tend mostly to the commercial side of music without taking into consideration artistic expression. "This has made the quality of music in Pakistan stagnant and also narrowed the amount of music coming to the masses," he said. The News

Post your comments