HEC allows MPhil leading to PhD programme with conditions

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has given its seal of approval to the recommendations submitted by the Karachi University’s Board of Advanced Studies and Research (BASR) on the ongoing issue of the conversion of the MPhil programme into a PhD programme.

A meeting was held between officials of the HEC and BASR last month in which senior faculty member Professor Dr Jamil Kazmi briefed the HEC delegation on the recommendations of BASR through a presentation.

As per a statement issued by the KU Public Relations Officer on Tuesday, the HEC has endorsed the recommendations submitted by BASR and now students who were enrolled in MPhil leading to the PhD programme till the year 2015 and have already been converted into the PhD phase will continue their studies and their degrees will be verified by the HEC subject to their submission within the period legally provided and the completion of other admission/award of degree requirements.

It said students who were enrolled in the year 2016 and onwards would also be allowed to select an option to convert their degrees from MPhil to PhD after the receipt of MPhil/MS/ equivalent degree after meeting the necessary requirements.

The students will need to meet the requirements of securing the minimum CGPA of 3, complete 30 credit hours of course work or 24 credits hours of course work along with six credit hours’ thesis work or equivalent, pass the subject admission test and complete 18 credit hours of 800 level courses and submit the thesis so as to be eligible to be awarded a PhD degree, it added. 

After completion of the MPhil programme, candidates can join the PhD programme on the basis of fulfilling the transfer criteria, it said, adding that the PhD degree would be awarded after the completion of 18 credit hours of 800 level courses, clearing of comprehensive examinations, defence of synopsis, publication of one paper in an HEC recognised journal, two positive reports from foreign evaluators and a successful defence of the thesis as per the PhD policy.

‘Public welfare, development schemes among top government priorities’

Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair has said that public welfare and human development programmes are among the top priorities of the federal government, a statement said on Tuesday.

Talking to a delegation, jointly led by legislators Syed Shafqat Shah Shirazi and Ejaz Shah Shirazi, the governor urged the public representatives to raise their voice on the floor of the house about problems being faced by people of their respective constituencies.

"It is incumbent upon the members of the national and provincial assemblies to ensure proper legislation that may help solve the difficulties faced by the masses,” the governor said. He said members of treasury and opposition benches were equally responsible to deliver and that the federal government held a vision of development for remote areas of the country.

The delegation, which also included Ayaz Shah Shirazi and Hanif Memon, apprised the Sindh governor of the problems being faced people in their respective constituencies. Talking about the hindrances faced by them in completion of different public welfare schemes in least developed areas of the province, the visiting legislators expressed their confidence that the relief package announced by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for Thatta could mark a difference.

It was discussed in the meeting that the PM's relief package for Thatta included provision for a 500-bed hospital along with a healthcare scheme, a potable water scheme and other public utility projects.

The governor said a series of measures were being adopted to expedite development programmes in underdeveloped areas of the province. Zubair said the federal government’s national economic policy had produced a far reaching impact on the lives of underprivileged people.

Pipeline ruptured: City to face shortfall of 150mgd water

A 72-inch diameter pipeline of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) ruptured on Tuesday following a power breakdown at the Dhabeji pumping station.

As per the statement issued by the KWSB, owing to the rupture the city will face a shortfall of 150 million gallons of water over the next 48 hours.

According to KWSB officials, a power failure at the Dhabeji pumping station - main water supply source to the city - caused a build-up of back pressure in the pipeline which burst after it was unable to sustain the increased pressure.

Two kilometres of land was submerged in water after the pipeline burst, said a KWSB spokesperson. Heavy equipment to repair the damaged line was promptly transported to the pumping station on instructions of the KWSB’s Managing Director Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi.

The repair work can take up to 48 hours, the spokesperson added. “Till the pipeline is repaired we are using alternate pipelines to supply water to the city,” he claimed. In August last year, water supply to several parts of the city was suspended after a 72-inch pipeline from Thatta burst and could not be repaired immediately.

A month prior to that the station faced a power breakdown as many parts of the city were left without water for more than 25 hours and around 200 million gallons of water was lost.