PESHAWAR, Aug 11: All special quotas would be abolished and admission to professional institutions in the NWFP would be made only on merit, a meeting decided on Wednesday.

The Vice-Chancellors Conference of Public Sector Universities of the NWFP also resolved that a uniformity would be ensured in the fee structure and procedural matters of all the universities except their syllabi.

The meeting, held in the Malakand University of Science and Technology at Chakdara with Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah in the chair, decided that the self-finance scheme would be stopped forthwith.

An evening shift would be started in the universities where the fee structure would be the same as it would be in the morning shift. Teachers for the evening shift would not be drawn from the morning shift and additional staff would be appointed for the purpose.

Reviewing the proposed four-year graduate degree programme in the colleges affiliated with the universities, the conference noted that a number of institutions had already switched to the programme and concluded that efforts should be expedited to adopt it in all other institutions as soon as possible.

The meeting was informed that the programme was aimed at bringing the standard of degrees on a par with the internationally recognized ones. The conference discussed ways and means to upgrade the faculty level. It was decided that all future appointments for lectureship would be made on a contract basis which would be extended on the basis of their performance.

It allowed re-employment of retired teachers so that students could benefit from their experience and knowledge. The 'miserable' condition of hostels also came under discussion and it was decided that the students should be involved in their operationalization and maintenance, especially to run canteens.

The meeting suggested that a separate wing should be created in the higher education department under the control of the respective secretary to deal with the university affairs. It decided that only first class first candidates of the universities would be entitled to get gold medals.