Varsities asked to produce quality graduates

LAHORE:The first ever online meeting of the Punjab University (PU) Senate was held here on Thursday which was chaired by Punjab Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfraz.

Addressing the meeting, the minister said the universities in Punjab would attract international students and teachers and give them facilities as per international standard. The Senate meeting adopted performa of the federal Higher Education Commission (HEC) regarding advance increments of TTS faculty members. The Senate also adopted 18 notifications of HEC regarding the tenure track system. The meeting also approved the service structure of private secretaries, security staff and sanitary workers.

The 354th meeting of PU Senate was attended by Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmad, Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Saleem Mazhar, Registrar Dr Muhammad Khalid Khan and more than 150 members of Senate including deans of faculties, heads of departments and others.

Raja Yasir said Pakistan had defeated terrorism and now international students and teachers would come to Pakistani universities. He said ‘we should focus on producing quality graduates instead of producing quantity of graduates.’ Prof Niaz Ahmad said the administration had implemented the policy of merit and good governance as per its promise and now all the important decisions were being taken by the relevant forums.

He said following the university calendar, the administration had organised a fourth meeting of the Senate regularly in just two years. He said the incumbent administration had organised 9 Syndicate, 11 Academic Council, 27 Advanced Studies and Research Board meetings in two years. The Senate members lauded PU VC Prof Niaz Ahmad on playing an active and desired role at national level in all sectors against Covid-19.

Schools sealed

The District Education Authority (DEA) Lahore taking action against private schools for violations vis-à-vis coronavirus sealed one school while served a show-cause notice on another. According to the details, the DEA Lahore sealed Township branch of American Lycetuff-DNK while served a show-cause notice on Adabistan-e-Soophia School for forcing teachers to join the school against the government’s instructions of skeleton staff only. The DEA Lahore also imposed a penalty of Rs 20,000 on American Lycetuff-DNK.