Problems of higher education commission workers
HEC workers suffer due to lack of notified service rules
Islamabad, Sep 17: Even after seven long years of establishment, Higher Education
Commission (HEC) still lacks notified service rules to follow a legal
procedure for the recruitment of new employees and for promoting
existing staff members. HEC was established in 2002, replacing
the University Grants Commission (UGC), with a view to promote higher
education for better future of the country. However, the Commission
lacks rules to resolve matters related to services. "There are
no notified service rules despite the fact that the Ordinance 2002,
under which the Commission was formed, clearly directed for framing and
getting the rules approved by the competent authority, the
Establishment Division," reliable sources said. As per the HEC
Ordinance 2002, HEC would have to follow the UGC rules until it frames
its own, however, the practice is not being followed, sources added. The
fresh appointments as well as promotions made in the Commission are
merely done on whimsical grounds with political motivation and against
the directives of Establishment Division, sources revealed. An
'ESTA' Code of Establishment Division reads as, "Where a cadre has
definite quotas reserved for departmental promotions and direct
recruitment, promotions against the departmental quota should be made
first and the posts reserved for the direct recruitment filled
later." However, the HEC management is involved in promoting
employees and recruiting new ones without following the directions. "Earlier,
at least 20 posts of BPS-17 have been filled without following the
rules. Similarly, 10 recruitments have been made in BPS-18, five in
BPS-19 and all the posts over 19 are being filled by outsiders,"
sources added.
Post your comments
Qualification condition eased for Malakand students
Islamabad: To adjust youth from Malakand in the upcoming phase of National
Internship Programme (NIP) on priority basis, the Ministry of Youth
Affairs has eased the condition of 16 years of education to 14 years
for students of that region. Minister of
Youth Affairs Shahid Hussain Bhutto said that the decision was aimed at
providing relief to the youth of Malakand who had to pass through a
stressful period. "The government also plans to provide employment to
them," he said. He said that employment was one of the biggest
issues of educated youth in the country. "Creating employment
opportunities is the major objective of the recently approved Youth
Policy and the ministry is in the process of designing projects aimed
at creating employment for youth at the grassroots level," he said. Bhutto
said that the age limit for candidates applying from that area would
remain the same as that of candidates applying from other parts of the
country. To apply for NIP the candidate would have to complete 16 years
of education and should not be more than 25 years of age. He
said that advertisement for the programme would appear in media within
this week urging youth to start applying. "With the current allocation
of Rs3.6 billion for the fiscal year 2009-10, 30,000 youth will be
provided with one year job experience in public sector in the second
phase," he said. Launched in year 2007, the rationale of the
programme was to provide job experience to youth while side-by-side
addressing the chronic shortage of staff in various public sector
organisations. The objective was to provide temporary placement of
appropriate numbers of unemployed and educated youth in relevant and
matching government outfits, which could be advantageous for both
government and the unemployed youth. The internees are provided with an
attractive monthly stipend of Rs10,000. Candidates can apply
both online at www.nip.gov.pk or through postal mail for this
programme. The candidates will be awarded experience certificates on
successful completion of internship. All applications received are
first sent to Higher Education Commission (HEC) for verification of
degree; roll number, registration number, and name of university and
year of passing. HEC is carrying out verifications in close
coordination with all recognised universities and degree awarding
institutions. Once the degree is verified by HEC, the
applications for internship are forwarded to Nadra for verification of
CNIC number, date of birth and names. All those applications that have
been verified by HEC and Nadra are sorted out on the basis of
preference for placement. According to official statistics, over
50,000 youth complete 16 years of education from recognised
universities/degree awarding institutions in the country every year. A
considerable time gap between the completion of education and job
availability in majority of cases results in a sense of frustration and
waste of potential energy within educated youth.
Post your comments
Scholars asked to submit abstracts for SPELT conference
Islamabad: The Working Committee of Society of Pakistan English
Language Teachers (SPELT) has invited English language teaching experts
and scholars who want to give a talk on different issues relating
English language teaching to submit their abstracts by September 20. SPELT
is organising its three-day 25th International Annual Conference with
the collaboration of Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi from
October 23 to 25. The presenters can share their experiences in the
form of papers, workshops and poster sessions. This conference
provides an opportunity to English teachers across the country to
benefit from the internationally renowned scholars. For further
information, Umar Farooq, conference coordinator, can be contacted on
0300-5255369. The news
Post your comments
Two teachers kidnapped in Karak
Karak: Two primary schoolteachers were kidnapped here on
Tuesday. However, one of them was set free by the unknown kidnappers
near Domail in Bannu district. The teachers were going home
after attending school in Shaggi Lawaghar village when they were
waylaid by some gunmen. Relatives registered an FIR against the
unidentified kidnappers in Karak police station on Wednesday.
Sources said that Mohammad Janana, uncle of kidnapped teacher Imran,
resident of Kach Banda, Karak, told the police that the family
contacted the school watchman to know the whereabouts of Imran when he
did not return home from school. The watchman informed the
family that Imran had left school along with another colleague Khalil
after school hours. However, late at night, Khalil phoned home saying
that he had been released by the kidnappers. Family members told the
police that they had no enmity with anyone. Dawn
Post your comments
Student kidnapped in Kohat
Kohat: Unidentified persons kidnapped a university student on Bannu
Road here Wednesday. Official sources said Waseem Abbas, a student of
Kohat University, along with his two friends, Jamshed and Qamar Abbas,
was on his way back home from the university when intercepted by a car.
The occupants of the car kidnapped Waseem and drove away. The
police took Jamshed into custody and included him in investigation. The news
Post your comments
| 
