LARKANA: Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, adviser to Sindh chief minister on universities and boards, has suggested development of a special app to allow parents to monitor attendance of their children in the academic institutions they are enrolled with.

Mr Khuhro said at a meeting with vice chancellors of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) and Quaid-i-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology (QUEST) here on Wednesday that in addition to biometric system, the special online app should be introduced so that parents could monitor the presence of their children in different universities.

He urged the VCs to replicate the attendance model of students adopted at the University of Sindh so as to update parents about their children’s interest in studies.

The VCs and the officers concerned briefed the CM’s aide on overall financial, administrative and faculty issues in the universities and the meeting reviewed status of funding which the universities had been receiving from Higher Education Commission and provincial government to run their affairs in a smooth manner.

He said there would be no compromise on the standard of education at seats of higher learning and asked the VC of SMBBMU Prof Dr Anila Attaur Rehman to fill vacant posts to end shortage of academic staff in the university and the colleges affiliated with it.

He was surprised that even after receiving maximum funds, the engineering wing concerned of SMBBMU had failed to construct drainage system and internal roads at its Arija campus amid reported corruption charges in the university’s project on Airport Road.

The SMBBMU VC informed Mr Khuhro that the HEC had taken notice of gross financial irregularities at SMBBMU Arija campus and former project director of Arija campus Abdul Waheed Mangi had been dismissed on charges of embezzlement of Rs440 million. The case was presently pending trial in Sindh High Court, she said.

Mr Khuhro asked the vice chancellor to expedite ongoing development work at the Arija campus and complete the state-of-the-art laboratory at the site.

The university managers must ensure transparency in conducting examinations so that no meritorious student was discriminated against, he said.

He stressed that no incident of tampering with examination results would be tolerated.

He said in answer to the demand raised by in-charge professor at QUEST Larkana campus for grant of a bailout package to the campus that the government would extend maximum support to the universities. “We are here to take corrective measures coupled with development works to bring in improvement in the universities,” he said.

He hinted at making efforts for granting university status to the QUEST Larkana campus.

Later, speaking at a ceremony for distributing sewing machines and solar fans among the needy and the deserving in union council-1 that PPP leadership was not scared of political victimisation the PTI-led government had unleashed.

He said that arrest of opposition leaders was a calculated move to deflect peoples’ attention from the worst economic conditions and price spiral they were facing day in and day out.

He said that PPP would continue criticising “anti-people” policies of the federal government and said the Constitution was supreme. Rulers should initiate action against dictators who had trampled upon the Constitution, he said.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2019