PESHAWAR, Feb 1: The University of Peshawar has abolished the three-year master’s degree programme following opposition from students and teachers and reverted to the old two-year system.

The NWFP governor presided over a meeting of the University Senate on Tuesday and decided to abolish the three-year programme. The meeting was also attended by the vice-chancellor and senate members.

It was also decided to abolish the compulsory functional English subject for MA/ MSc students.

The former vice-chancellor of the university had introduced the three-year programme without the approval of the Higher Education Commission.

The Tenure Track System had also been approved under which university teachers of BPS-18 and above would be appointed on three-year contracts and their promotions would depend on their performance reviewed by a committee.

University teachers working presently under the old system had been given the option to switch over to the Tenure Track System. Under the new system, the post of lecturer (BPS-16) at the university was also abolished.

The senate also approved three more posts of BPS-19 including a post of additional registrar, an additional controller and a post of additional director finance.

The senate members rejected the appeal of five colleges for affiliation with the University of Peshawar. Fatima Jinnah College of Education Haripur, N.G.I. College Mardan, Abbottabad Law College, Abbottabad College of Education and Institute of Education, Charsadda had applied for affiliating with the University of Peshawar.

The meeting also approved new rules for appointment and promotion of employees of BPS 01 to 16. Earlier, only those who held first divisions could get promotions but according.