April 13, 2007	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 24, 1428

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TAXILA, April 12: Punjab Governor Lt-Gen (retired) Khalid Maqbool has said the present government is working on a plan to strengthen the engineering sector by utilising all available resources.

“We are not only establishing universities but also providing more incentives to the academia by enhancing PhD allowances and launching the Tenure Track System,” he said while addressing the 5th convocation of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Taxila here on Thursday.

According to the governor, the government was making revolutionary changes in the education sector that led to tremendous progress in this field.

The number of public-sector universities has increased from six to 17 during the last six years. Students’ enrolment during this period registered an increase of 229 per cent and PhDs 378 per cent. Fifteen private universities had also been established in the province.

He added that the federal government would establish three more world-class engineering universities in the Punjab with foreign assistance.

Mr Maqbool, who is also the UET Taxila chancellor, stressed the need for research-based training keeping in view the needs of the market and the society.

He urged the university administration to provide a liberal environment to the students and an opportunity for “lively social life”.

He said the government was planning to declare primary education compulsory in the province and legislation to this effect would be introduced after the establishment of the necessary infrastructure and the provision of absent facilities in the education sector.

The governor said concrete measures had been taken under the Education Sector Reforms programme to improve the standard of education in the province.

The chief minister said that the decision to grant a monthly stipend of Rs 200 to female students of southern Punjab and other areas had yielded satisfactory results. About 2 million more children had enrolled in schools as a result of the government’s education programme, he said.

On the occasion, National Engineering and Scientific Commission (Nescom) Chairman Dr Samar Mubarakmand said the true strength of any nations defence and economy was in qualified human resource.

“It is not just money and resources but more importantly brain power that takes nation up the echelons of development in defence technology.”

UET Taxila Vice-Chancellor Dr Habibullah Jamal said the university had initiated and completed nearly two dozen projects worth Rs1 billion in last couple of years with financial assistance for the government.

He said new programmes including BSc in electronics, telecommunication, industrial and manufacturing engineering, and architecture, and master’s in engineering management and environmental engineering would be launched soon.

On the occasion, medals, cash prizes and degrees were awarded to the students of academic sessions taking place between 2004 and 2006.