Tag: students

  • HEC to relaunch PM’s Laptop Scheme soon

    HEC to relaunch PM’s Laptop Scheme soon

    The Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme would be relaunched under the Youth Development Initiative, according to Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, within the next few days.

    Speaking to the media, he further stated that HEC would launch a programme for online courses for students in Pakistan’s institutions with assistance from Microsoft and other international organisations.

    The declaration follows the historic Prime Minister (PM) Laptop Scheme’s restoration by the Federal Government, which is governed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    Details indicate that the programme, which has a budget of Rs 10 billion, will distribute laptops to students pursuing BS, Masters, M Phil, PhD, and undergraduate degrees.

    A committee headed by Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, the chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), has been formed by the government to complete all issues, including the requirements for students to be eligible for laptops.

    According to Academia Mag, the 14-member committee comprises the Executive Director of HEC, Additional Finance Secretary (Budget) of the Government of Pakistan, a member from Planning and Development Division, Science and Technology, Secretary Higher Education Department Punjab, Secretary Higher Education Department Sindh, Secretary Higher Education Department Balochistan, Secretary Higher Education Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a representative from the National Information Technology Board (NITB), Secretary Higher Education Department Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a representative from Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and others.

    The procedure for verifying degrees and issuing certificates of equivalency is likewise being shifted entirely online.

    A growing number of educational institutions were causing financial problems for HEC, he continued, and public universities would henceforth be given funding according on how well they performed.

    “We would request the federal and provincial governments to not establish more public universities until the country’s financial issues are resolved,” he said.

  • NADRA introduces a new digital payment system to replace ATMs

    NADRA introduces a new digital payment system to replace ATMs

    The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has introduced an innovative system that will serve as an alternative to automated teller machines (ATMs) and let citizens pay utility bills and identity documents.

    This development comes as a result of NADRA’s partnership with 1Link, Pakistan’s largest and fully licensed payment gateway system. The two authorities have formed a strategic alliance to evolve and administer an e-payment system that will build on NADRA’s already existing e-Sahulat franchise.

    According to DAWN, the collaboration will make it possible for the more than 17,000 e-Sahulat centers to conduct financial transfers, cash-in and cash-out transactions, as well as P2G, G2P, and P2P payments.

    NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik and 1Link CEO Najeeb Agrawal inked the agreement on Monday at the organization’s headquarters. In response to this development, Malik stated that NADRA has been trying to enhance e-governance by empowering organisations from the public and commercial sectors through its digital services.

    He asserted that one of Pakistan’s most cutting-edge digital services for financial payments is NADRA’s e-Sahulat facility.

    Through this cooperation, the more than 17,000 e-Sahulat locations operated by NADRA will be able to quadruple the capacity of more than 16,500 1Link ATMs nationwide. As was already mentioned, this will make it simple for consumers to deposit and withdraw money.

    In the future, the digital platform will also be accessible in rural Pakistan, enabling students there to continue their studies while earning money to cover their tuition.

  • 250,000 students to appear in Matric exams starting today

    250,000 students to appear in Matric exams starting today

    The Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISE) Lahore will begin Matric (10th Class) examinations on Tuesday (today), with over 250,000 students expected to take part. According to a BISE Lahore official, the Lahore Board has set up 759 examination centers for the exam.

    The 9th Class exams will begin on May 26 and will attract nearly 270,000 students. He noted that Intermediate exams would begin the second week of June 2022, following Matric exams.

    Read more: Dr Murtaza Syed assumes charge as the new Governor State Bank of Pakistan

    BISE Lahore Chairman Mirza Habib Ali stated that these exams will cover the entire course. He also asked the concerned officials to make watertight arrangements for conducting the tests in a transparent and supervised manner.

  • PM launches Scholarship Complaint Portal for students

    PM launches Scholarship Complaint Portal for students

    Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the Scholarship Complaint Portal for students across the country today. The core purpose of the newly launched portal is to help students with their problems as quickly as possible. The portal will also ensure transparency and merit in the award of scholarships.

    At the launching ceremony of the portal in Islamabad, PM Khan said that a panel of academics will monitor the portal and new subjects and disciplines will be added for scholarships as per market demand, Radio Pakistan reported.

    The portal will be linked to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Portal and the Prime Minister’s Office will ensure that concerns of students are resolved in a timely manner.

    Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mahmood also addressed the ceremony. He said the government has increased the number of scholarships for postgraduate and undergraduate students, which is unprecedented in the history of Pakistan.

  • Asad Umar urges PCB to give students free entrance to watch Pak vs Windies matches

    Asad Umar urges PCB to give students free entrance to watch Pak vs Windies matches

    National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) head Asad Umar has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to allow free entry for students in the stadium during the Pakistan and West Indies matches.

    Talking to the media outside National Stadium Karachi (NSK), while urging PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja, he said: “This is not the time to make money.”

    The federal minister also asked Karachiites to come to National Stadium and support their team.

    Speaking about PSL attendance, the minister said that PCB and NCOC are working jointly over Covid situation.

    “There will be 100pc attendance during PSL 7 matches if Covid-19 situation did not worsen,” Asad added.

    Separately today, the Karachi police have issued a traffic plan in connection with three T20Is and as many ODIs to be played between Pakistan and West Indies at National Stadium Karachi.

    According to a plan issued by the traffic police, the Hassan Square flyover will remain closed for all types of traffic during T20Is and ODI matches.

    In a bid to ensure foolproof security of the players, the traffic police in a statement said that Sir Shah Muhammad Suleman Road from Hasan Square to the National Stadium will remain closed for all kinds of traffic during the matches.

  • Punjab boards to announce matric, intermediate results in 48 hours

    Punjab boards to announce matric, intermediate results in 48 hours

    All Punjab education boards will announce the results of the Matric and Intermediate Annual Examinations 2021 within 48 hours, reports Khalid Khattak for Geo News.

    Punjab Minister for Higher Education Raja Yassir Humayun Sarfraz said that all the Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISEs) had already prepared results, expressing the hope that the results would be announced soon in Punjab.

    There are a total of nine education boards in Punjab including BISE of Lahore, DG Khan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Multan, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, and Sahiwal.

    Students gave their board exams in August and since then no result date was announced.

    To facilitate students, it was also decided that all candidates who failed in any subject would be given 33 per cent marks for the purpose of computing averages.

  • Students protest against ‘mismanaged’ MDCAT

    Students from across the country are protesting against the management of the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) for conducting ‘mismanaged’ Medical and Dental College Aptitude Test (MDCAT).

    Students claim that there were administrative problems during the test. The software and hardware used by PMC for the exams had malfunctioned. They claim that the servers used for the exams were frequently down.

    The protesters want the Pakistan Medical Commission to conduct the MDCAT again on a single day across the country.

    https://twitter.com/BeSyed_/status/1443121616314159107?s=20

    As per reports,  PMC called the students for negotiations after which a five-member delegation held a meeting with the PMC management. However, they could not reach any decision and students are still protesting.

    Students plan to march towards PM House today (Wednesday) at 6pm to stage further protests.

  • ‘Justice hoga to sabka hoga’: Asim Azhar demands justice from PM Imran Khan

    ‘Justice hoga to sabka hoga’: Asim Azhar demands justice from PM Imran Khan

    Asim Azhar has once again raised his voice for the protesting students who are appealing to the government to call off the sit-in exams amidst pandemic woes.

    Taking to Twitter, the Tum Tum singer said: “All students are equal, Chaahay board ya Cambridge. Justice ho ga tou sabka ho ga, InshaAllah!“

    In another tweet, he also shared the hashtag #ImranKhanStudentKiSunLo and tagged the Prime Minister.

    Islamabad police on Thursday temporarily detained a dozen students and used force to end a protest against holding in-person examinations for grade 9th to 12th which are scheduled to begin later this month.

    Students had started gathering outside the Higher Education Commission (HEC) office on Thursday morning and also appealed for Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood’s resignation.

  • Govt to add 0.7m intermediate students in Waseela-e-Taleem

    The federal government has decided to add intermediate students to an educational conditional cash transfer project, the Waseela-e-Taleem programme.

    As per reports, Ehsaas board will have a meeting on June 24 for the final approval.

    Under the project. intermediate students are given cash grants from underprivileged families on the condition of 70 per cent attendance in school.
    The Ehsaas Steering Committee has approved the inclusion of higher secondary education in the programme.

    With such a development, they added that approximately 700,000 students would get the advantage and the government has planned to allot Rs5 billion worth of funds for the project in the next fiscal year.

    Also Read: Nagar Valley girls to get first higher secondary school

    The boys would get worth Rs3,500 cash stipend and girls would get worth Rs4,000 every quarter.

    Moreover, students from the 6th to 10th standard would also get conditional cash assistance under this programme According to the plan, boys in the above-mentioned class bracket would get worth Rs2,500 cash assistance and girls would get worth Rs3,000 stipend from July every quarter.

  • ‘You asserted yourself as rightful stakeholders,’ Jibran congratulates students after some exams are cancelled by govt

    ‘You asserted yourself as rightful stakeholders,’ Jibran congratulates students after some exams are cancelled by govt

    After the government announced that only elective exams and math papers would be taken by students, Pakistani Civil Rights Activist and Lawyer, Jibran Nasir, thanked the government for its prudent decision and congratulated students on gaining ‘relaxation from their exams’.

    Prior to the government’s announcement, Jibran strongly defended students against the government’s stance of having physical exams on schedule.

    Federal Minister of Education Shafqat Mahmood said that the issue of resolving complaints of non-completion of courses by the students was discussed in a meeting on Wednesday.

    “Several months ago, we reduced the curriculum by 40 per cent to make it easier for teachers and students to prepare,” said the minister.

    But Jibran stated otherwise. Speaking on a morning show on HUM News, ‘Subah Say Agay’, Jibran said, “The primary issue faced by students is that they were previously examined for a nine-month course, when schools used to conduct exams for four months. At present, each student was offered only two months of classes, and students were asked to come to their respective institutions on alternate days.”

    Jibran further said that the government should take a decision that will allow students to get back to their institutions and complete their curriculum. “This debate is not for the private sector students but for the ones studying in public/government institutions, who do not have the facility or access to the internet,” added Jibran.

    Jibran compared the decision-making of the government by comparing the present conditions of the students of Pakistan to India. “With a much bigger student population, India still managed to develop a local alternative to exams like school assessed grades (SAG) and in Pakistan, we can’t even complete syllabus,” tweeted Jibran.

    Jibran took a jibe at the government and tweeted, “Pak Govt: Our students are lazy, they want a free ride, they don’t want to study.”