19 October 2004	Tuesday	04 Ramazan 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: The Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) has decided to start subsidized diploma courses in civil, electrical, mechanical and computer technology with admission fee as low as Rs500 per semester.

This was stated by the IEP chairperson, Naheed Ghazanfar, while talking to Dawn here on Monday.

The chairperson said the decision in this regard was taken in a recent meeting of the IEP's local council, Rawalpindi/Islamabad Centre.

The subsidized courses are aimed at providing an opportunity to people belonging to lower middle and middle class to improve their skills as per the demands of the international markets, she added.

Ms Ghazanfar said a limited number of scholarships would also be offered to those students who were unable to even pay the subsidized fee. Under the scholarships, the students will not have to pay any fee, while course materials, books, etc., will be provided to them free of cost, she added.

About the courses, Ms Ghazanfar said, six-semester courses would be offered in civil technology, electrical technology, mechanical technology and computer technology. Classes will also be held in the evening in order to encourage working persons to enhance their skills, she added.

The chairperson said efforts were being made to enrol maximum number of students, besides equipping the classrooms with modern facilities.

About the eligibility criteria, she said, all the over the age of 18 or with minimum 11-year of school education in science group (matric/O-Level) could apply.

Ms Ghazanfar said the courses would be recognized by China, India, Bangladesh and the United Kingdom. Admissions are likely to start next month, however, the exact dates will be advertized in media, she added.

Talking about the objectives of the courses, Ms Ghazanfar said the decision had been taken in order to develop human resource in the country and give the workforce an international outlook.

Most of the middle class and poor people, she said, had very scarce opportunities to get technical education. While many talented students after completing matriculation could not afford to join technical institutions due to high admission fees and other related expenses, she added. This is the reason why the IEP has decided to offer subsized courses to facilitate such students, she said.