Punjab Univesity BA/BSc March 16 paper | Black sheep at NCA

Missed exam: Punjab University calls for applications
Lahore, May 21: The Punjab University (PU) Examination Department has called for applications from the candidates of BA/BSc Annual Examination 2009 who missed their papers scheduled on March 16 (the day of the 'long march') due to inability to reach the examination centres.

PU Examinations Controller Prof Zahid Karim Khan has asked all those candidates who come under the jurisdiction of PU in Lahore Division, Faisalabad Division, Gujranwala Division, Rawalpindi Division, Sargodha Division and Federal Area, to submit their applications for re-examination of the missing paper to the office of the examinations controller. Daily Times

Punjab University summer vacation
Lahore: Punjab University Deans Committee in a meeting unanimously decided that PU would close for summer vacation from June 30 to September 4. According to a press release here on Wednesday, the meeting held under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, discussed that Punjab Government has announced summer vacation in the education institutions of the province from June 4 to August14, however, semesters of various PU departments were not completed.

PU concerned over outages on campus
Lahore: Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran contacted the Lahore Electric Supply Company Director General Akram Arain and made a complaint about loadshedding, which was causing serious loss to the students.

According to a press release on Wednesday, the Lesco DG assured the VC that he would cooperate with the university regarding loadshedding.

Computer lab inaugurated
Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran inaugurated the newly established computer lab for PhD scholars of Institute of Education and Research (IER) at New Campus on Wednesday.

According to a press release here, the 20-computer lab has facility of wireless internet and printer. The vice-chancellor talked to faculty members and PhD students.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran assured the IER director of providing the institute with multimedia system, lecture rooms as demanded by the director. He also inaugurated a television set donated by Raja Munawar to the IER for the faculty room.

IER Director Dr Mumtaz Akhtar thanked Raja Munawar for donating a TV set for the faculty room.

Pharm-D result
The Punjab University Examination Department has declared the result of Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm-D), Second Professional, Annual Examinations 2008. Detailed result is also available onPU website www.pu.edu.pk. The News

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Black sheep and closing doors at NCA
Lahore: Hurmatul Ain and Rija Asher's parallel exhibition was inaugurated at the National College of Arts' (NCA) Zahoorul Akhlaque Gallery recently. Though the works of both the artists were poles apart in terms of technique and concept, they shared the same 'tone'.

This shared tone can best be described as 'candid candour'. What makes group shows exciting is how totally different works juxtaposed in the same vicinity develop synchronisation and an affinity to one another. Hurmat and Rija's art spoke in a manner both casual and earnest. Both artists dealt with their respective subjects in an almost humourous way, but the underlying innuendo had a serious note to it. For instance, the use of black sheep was humorous in its ungainliness, but the entire ethos created by the opening and closing of doors was a pun on the indecisive nature of human beings when confronted by an unexpected situation.

Connotations: Hurmat's work dealt with the various connotations associated with black sheep. The sheep are, at different levels, associated with social and economic dilemmas. At the first level, the artist was inspired by the innuendos in the nursery rhyme "Ba ba, black sheep", which talks about economic recession in UK. At a social level, the "black sheep of the family" is a person who is usually ostracised by his own family.

In one of the images, Hurmat depicted a group of goats in one corner and one goat in the other corner, placed upside down. This image was titled 'All sheep go to heaven'. The comment was ironic because the black sheep in one corner judged the lone sheep to be "black" – a socially inept sheep, without realising that they were themselves black. Another painting titled 'The lover, the murderer, the teacher and the friend' depicted the anatomy of a sheep in an exaggerated manner, making it look almost ominous. The image talked about how an animal as innocent as a sheep can be associated with treachery (like a wolf disguised in the skin of a sheep). Hurmat's work had a free-flowing quality to it, even though she had used only black paint on a white canvas. The energy was however, clearly evident. Looking at Hurmat's work, one is reminded of Jackson Pollock, also known as 'Jack the dripper', because he used the drip technique to make action paintings.

Involved: Rija's work is based on the statement: "I delight you by teasing you into viewing my work as is". Her work consisted of a performance installation. It was cunning because it involved the viewer without him knowing that he was taking part in the performance. The performance involved two doors on opposite ends of the gallery. As one headed towards one of the doors, it closed and the other opened, and as one headed towards the open door, it closed, and the previous one opened. The viewer is left confused and bewildered.

Rija said, "I captured the expressions of the viewers and everyone reacted differently to the situation. It was both an amusing and an insightful experience." The aberration caused by the installation was humourous, but also mocked human nature – people take the routine and the mundane for granted, and even the slightest deviation is harassing and creates a state of disarray.

Hurmat and Rija both graduated from NCA. Hurmat is no a teacher of the arts, and Rija is a practicing sculptor. Daily Times

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Teachers hold mass demo
Lahore: A faction of college teachers on Wednesday staged a mass demonstration and staged a rally from the Government Islamia College, Civil Lines, to the Civil Secretariat demanding acceptance of their demands.

The college teachers, including women teachers, under the banner of the Tehrik-i-Asatza Punjab also staged a sit-in outside the Civil Secretariat. The flow of traffic on the Lower Mall and adjacent roads remained disturbed for quite some time.

The protesters were holding banners and placards bearing inscriptions: "Regularise contract teachers", "Implement time-scale promotion formula" "Upgrade college teachers like university teachers" and "Equal PhD allowance for college teachers".

Later, Punjab higher education additional secretary Farrukh Zuhra Gilani held negotiations with Tehrik-i-Asatza Punjab leaders and told them that the department had sent its recommendations for the acceptance of teachers' demands to the chief minister for approval. She said the chief minister would also meet the college teachers soon.

Winding up their protest, the teachers' leaders announced that they would again hold protest camps at district headquarters and in front of the Lahore Press Club on May 27 if the education department did not arrange their meeting with the chief minister till May 26. Dawn

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Young doctors hold rally against KEMU administration
Lahore: The Young Doctors Association and the Young Kemcolians Association on Wednesday took out a rally from the King Edward Medical University hostels to The Mall protesting against the university's inability to restore double connection for electricity and the Mayo Hospital's decision against awarding six months extension in paid house job.

Over 200 doctors of the KEMU and the Mayo Hospital, led by the YDA and Kemcolians office-bearers Dr Aslam Rao, Dr Zahid Wazir, Dr Wajid and Dr Sohail, took out the rally from the Hall Road hostels via McLeod Road to the Chairing Cross, The Mall, and blocked traffic. They condemned the KEMU administration for its failure to install double connection to restore smooth supply of electricity to hostels. They were holding placards and chanting slogans against the administration for not fulfilling its promises regarding smooth electricity supply in hostels during the last one and a half years.

The protesting doctors said the continuous loadshedding in hostels had adversely affected the studies of doctors and demanded the authorities to install double connection to restore continuous power supply.

They also criticised KEMU vice-chancellor's decision not to award 6-month extension in paid house job to 37 Kemcolians. They said the Kemcolians had been getting 6-month extension in paid house jobs on vacant slots upon completion of one-year house job for over a decade. They alleged that the KEMU VC, misusing the authority of medical superintendent of the Mayo Hospital, ordered not to award extension in paid house job to the Kemcolians although 70 house job slots were lying vacant.

The protestors demanded Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif take notice and issue immediate directions to award 6-month extension in paid house to Kemcolians at the Mayo Hospital and install double connection of electricity to restore continuous power supply to the KEMU hostels. The News

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Queen's University team calls on VC GCU
Lahore: The International Officer, Queen's University Belfast Ms Erica Owden visited GC University Lahore and called on the Vice Chancellor Dr. Khalid Aftab in his office. The Vice Chancellor apprised Ms. Erica Owden about the historical perspective and glorious academic traditions of the institution. Dr. Khalid Aftab emphasized on the need of establishing academic collaboration between the two universities, especially, in the field of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics and Telecommunication.

He also quoted the GCU Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences where renowned foreign faculty members from different countries of the world are teaching. Ms Erica Owden mentioned that Queen's University is the leading institute of UK and primarily focuses on quality research in the field of engineering and physical sciences. Both the varsities agreed on extending cooperation in the areas of mutual interest. Director Academic Planning and External Links Ms. Fouzia Shahin, Ms. Leena Afzal, Mr. Hassan Khan, Manager UK Education, British Council were also present on the occasion. The representative of Queen's University also visited the GCU Career Guidance & Placement Centre. F.P report

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Punjab govt refuses TEVTA's request for recruitment funds
Lahore: The Punjab government has refused the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority's (TEVTA) request for the provision of funds for recruitments, with the observation that the calculation was not appropriate, sources said on Wednesday.

The sources said TEVTA Chairman Mohsin Syed informed Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif in a performance review meeting that the authority was facing a shortage of staff. He informed the CM that about 50 percent of total posts were vacant in the authority, which hindered the promotion of technical and vocational skill among the province's youth. The CM directed the chairman to fill the vacant posts immediately. The authority submitted a request to the Finance Department for the release of Rs 520 million as a supplementary grant to initiate and complete recruitment at the vacant posts.

Distorted: The Finance Department, while studying the request, found that only 2,990 posts of various categories were vacant in the authority (about 24 percent of the total manpower of 12,400). The Finance Department observed that only 400 posts of teaching cadre had been lying vacant and the remaining posts were of the ministerial staff, which had no direct link with imparting technical and vocational training. The department observed that the facts provided to the CM had been distorted, therefore, the request was rejected, the sources said.

The TEVTA chairman said it was incorrect that the chief minister was informed that 50 percent machinery was out of order. He said the authority was facing a shortage of 3,000 men, adding that this figure was provided to the CM during the performance review meeting. He said all vacant posts would be filled before the end of the current financial year, adding that the authority would be revamped to produce skilled manpower of international standard. Daily Times

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