KARACHI, July 7: Federal education ministry will advertize various posts of professors, assistant professors and lecturers to hire permanent faculty for the Dawood College of Engineering and Technology (DCET) by the end of this month.

Currently majority of the permanent faculty members of DCET is on leave reportedly for getting higher education, while some of them have joined other educational institutions.

The DCET administration after seeking approval from the ministry, has hired 12 teachers on contractual basis to meet the requirement whereas engineering professionals from various industrial concerns also visit the college to fulfil the faculty requirement.

The principal of DCET, Dr Saleem Chauhdry, said that classes were being held regularly for the last several months due to the interim arrangements made by the administration after getting approval from the ministry.

Denying allegations that classes were not being held at the DCET owing to the lack of teachers, he clarified that although there was a lack of permanent faculty members, they had hired 12 teachers on contractual basis, whereas they were also inviting visiting teachers from various industrial concerns.

“In addition to this, federal education ministry has approved allocation of Rs199 million, which will be provided to the college in three phases to improve its educational infrastructure,” he informed. He said that the funds were being provided to the college for upgradation of its laboratories.

“We have ordered scientific equipment costing Rs10 million for labs, which will be delivered within the next few weeks,” he said and added that the Pakistan Steel was also cooperating with the college to improve the condition of its laboratories.

He said that all these efforts were being made to re- affiliate the college with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), which was cancelled earlier owing to the lack of permanent faculty and inadequate scientific equipment for labs.

Accusing former principals and some other officials for the education debacle of the Dawood College, he informed that the NAB references had been authorized against various officials of the college on charges of misuse of authority and corruption.

“Federal education ministry is also considering to initiate an administrative action against some officials, including a few teachers, who are on unauthorized leave,” he said.

Dr Saleem maintained that a former principal of the college, Abdul Razzaq Memon had already been dismissed on similar charges. —PPI