Body for smooth functioning of varsity

LAHORE: Punjab Governor/Chancellor has constituted a Chancellors Committee for the smooth functioning of the newly-established University of Narowal.

The University of Narowal Act 2018 was passed by the Punjab Assembly in March this year. For the establishment of the University of Narowal sub-campus of University of Gujrat in Narowal was upgraded to the university.

According to a notification issued by the Higher Education Department (HED), Punjab Minister for Higher Education would be chairperson of the Chancellors Committee. While the Committee members include former federal minister for Interior and Planning, Development & Reform who was elected as MNA from Narowal, Secretary HED Punjab or his nominee not below the rank of Additional Secretary; Secretary Finance Department Punjab, his nominee not below the rank of Additional Secretary; Secretary Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department Punjab, his nominee not below the rank of Additional Secretary; Chairperson Federal Higher Education Commission or his nominee not below the rank of a Whole-Time Member of the Commission; Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairperson or his nominee not below the rank of a Whole-Time Member of the Commission; Government College Women University, Sialkot VC; Principal Hailey College of Commerce Prof Dr Hassan Mobeen Alam; Prof Dr Sara Shahid from Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), Prof Naveed A Malik Rector Virtual University of Pakistan, Dr Nadeem Javed Chief Economist Planning Commission, Javed Qureshi Chairman Pakistan Engineering Council and Asif Bajwa Chief Statistician Punjab. GCU Lahore VC who holds the additional charge as VC of the University of Narowal will act as member/secretary of the Chancellors Committee.

The Committee has been empowered to exercise the powers to the university’s Syndicate. appointment flayed: Parents Action Committee (PAC) Foundation, which represents parents of children enrolled to private schools, has criticised the appointment of Faisal Mushtaq as Punjab Education Minister in the caretaker cabinet and termed the same unfair.

In a press release, the PAC office-bearers said the caretaker education minister was an owner of private schools so there was serious conflict of interest, especially when he would be looking into public school matters.

They said fee hike in private schools was already out of the reach of the people while public schools were seriously lacking quality. They requested the caretaker chief minister to review his decision in larger public and national interest and appoint an educationist to steer the education in Punjab out of crisis. It also warned that Parents Action Committee otherwise had a right to raise voice at every forum.