GUJRAT: A casual attitude of the University of Gujrat officials concerned towards acquiring a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Pakistan Council of Architecture and Town Planning (PCATP), a basic requirement for getting accreditation by the regulatory body to launch a department, has put at stake the career of first batch of the varsity.

Some 200 students enrolled with the UoG’s department of architecture and design who are about to complete their five-year degree programme won’t be able to start their professional career because of non-fulfillment of the PCATP requirement.

The UoG had started the department in 2009 and the first batch is about to complete their studies within the next few months.

The PCATP is a regulatory body having strict criterion for accreditation of any degree programme in the field. The NOC is a basic requirement for any institution launching architecture design department. It is issued following a visit by PCAT officials to the institution seeking the NOC to inspect whether it had the required facilities.

If an institution fulfills the conditions, the regulatory body allows accreditation to the degree programme. Usually it takes two to three years for completion of the process. The PCATP inspection team pays annual visits to the concerned department in January or February.

As per the PCATP requirement for launching the department, some 300 sq-feet area is required for 30 students, besides a separate library and computer lab.

Fawad Khwaja, a former head of the department, had initiated the degree programme. After he quit the job around two years ago, the varsity administration appointed Ms Amina Jahangir as HOD.

She had written to the PCATP for issuance of NOC around a year ago. In response to the request, the PACATP had sought some necessary documents and also sought fulfillment of some other requirements a few months prior to paying ‘zero visit’ to the department.

But Ms Jahangir was on a two-week visit of India along with her team during those days and could not respond to the regulatory body.

Due to that alleged slackness, the PCATP got annoyed and declined the ‘zero visit’ mandatory for the grant of NOC.

The matter was brought to the Dr Nizamuddin’s notice around a month ago upon which the VC sought an explanation from Ms Jahngir.

As she could not give any satisfactory reply, she preferred to quit her job by sending her resignation to the vice chancellor that was not accepted.

Ms Jahangir has not been attending the varsity for the last few weeks while the department is being run by an acting HOD who is said to be a lecturer.

The VC, on the demand of the students and to meet the PCATP requirement, has now allocated two big halls, besides a separate library and a computer lab for the department whereas other arrangements are also being made in this regard.

Dr Nizamuddin told Dawn that he had taken ‘serious notice’ of the matter, claiming all arrangements to fulfill the PCATP requirements had already been made. He said more faculty members were being hired for the department while the PCATP officials were being persuaded to pay the visit to UoG.