HYDERABAD, Dec 21: As many as 209 candidates of different batches of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) were awarded bachelors and post-graduate degrees and 21 candidates were awarded gold and silver medals at the Convocation 2002, held on Saturday.

Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro, who was scheduled to come and award the degrees, could not attend the convocation.

Two candidates who had topped their faculties and three best graduates were awarded gold medals and 16 candidates who had secured first position in different subjects were awarded silver medals.

Twenty-five candidates who had secured second and third positions received merit certificates.

The convocation coincided with the silver jubilee year of the university.

In his presidential speech, Vice Chancellor Prof (Dr) Abdur Rehman Memon said the number of technologies at the university had increased from three to 16 during the last 25 years which, he claimed, had made it the biggest engineering university of the country. He said the university had established linkages with five foreign universities.

He said the university had also 36 Ph.Ds and 20 teachers were pursing M.E or Ph.D studies in Singapore, Canada, Germany, USA, UK, Japan, Australia, Romania and Denmark.

He said a directorate of management information system had been put in place to monitor, evaluate and oversee implementation of the university rules.

An exhibition of projects, prepared by students of the university, was also organized at the convocation in which students set up 30 stalls.

The vice chancellor inaugurated the exhibition.

SURGERY CAMP: The local District Population Welfare Department organised a one-day special camp for contraceptive surgery at the taluka hospital, RHC A, Hala Centre and the RHC A, Model Family Clinic, Murshidabad, on Thursday.