LAHORE: The Punjab University administration is holding a selection board meeting today (Friday) allegedly in violation of the varsity calendar.

Earlier, provisional Vice Chancellor Dr Zafar Mueen Nasir had convened the selection board meeting in May last but on protest by some faculty on approval of list of panel of experts the VC postponed it.

An official told Dawn a permanent VC could convene a selection board meeting in emergency. “However, the provisional VC cannot exercise such extra ordinary powers and also there is no mention of ‘emergency’ in the directive to hold ordinary level selection board,” he said.

He said the administration was holding the selection board meeting only to oblige some ‘blue-eyed candidates.’ “Since the chief minister does not appoint regular VC, such a meeting should not be held,” he said.

A PU spokesman said the administration was taking all steps on merit. “Some elements in the varsity want to malign the administration by resorting to negative propaganda,” he said.

SCHOOLS: The Punjab government has announced upgrading 622 secondary schools in the province.

Presiding over a meeting here on Thursday, Punjab schools education minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad said the purpose of this programme was to provide market oriented education to the youth so that children of low income families could earn their livelihood in an honorable way.

“This programme will equally benefit girl students who learn technical and vocational courses to provide economic support to their families,” he added.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2017