KARACHI, June 6: The master’s annual examinations, 2005, for external candidates will be held in the last week of June, said the controller of examinations of the University of Karachi on Tuesday.

The KU Controller, Dr S Anwar Zaidi, said that final dates in regard to the exams would be given in a couple of days after a meeting of the varsity’s chairmen of departments and the pro-vice chancellor.

He said the examination department had so far registered 7,811 candidates for MA (Previous) and 4,200 candidates for MA (Final) exams. He said for the examinations, centres would be established at various departments of the university.

In the meantime, sources on campus said that the examinations department had finalized the schedule of examinations and had planned to conduct them from June 20 onwards.

But that could not be approved by the varsity high-ups for want of a meeting of the chairmen of departments.

Due to shortage of qualified invigilators, the varsity’s authorities are considering appointing teachers from affiliated colleges.

A meeting has, therefore, been convened on June 8 to know the views of chairmen, who normally supervise the examination process in their respective departments.

The departments have also been asked to inform the examinations department about the exact numbers of varsity teachers willing to perform as invigilators in the said exams, added the source, saying that there had been reservations in the past over the deployment of non-teaching staff as invigilators.

About the timeframe of the examinations, the source said that candidates should be informed at least two weeks before their start, while the examinations department will also need adequate time for printing and distribution of the examination schedule.