KARACHI, June 22: The number of government cash awards will be increased by 33 per cent for the students who would pass their examinations with distinction from the educational boards of the province during the year 2002.

This was disclosed by provincial education minister Prof Anita Ghulam Ali after attending a merit scholarship cheques distribution ceremony at the Sindh Board of Technical Education on Saturday.

She told newsmen on the occasion that the existing number of cash awards (666) would be increased to 1,000 in the second round, but the value of the prize — Rs15,000 — per student will remain unchanged.

In all, 20 top ten students in the merit lists of technical school certificate examinations 2001, under the Sindh Board of Technical Education, were given cheques for Rs15,000 each. Only three of the 20 students belonged to government institutions.

A computer laboratory established for maintaining data pertaining to registration, examinations, results and certification, was also inaugurated by the minister at the SBTE premises.

She asked the SBTE administration to name the computer laboratory after a former chairman of the board, Syed Hasan, who was killed by unknown people near his residence some months back.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Anita noted the deteriorated state of affairs at the government-run technical educational institutions and called for improving the standard of teaching and other infrastructural facilities. She said the government had also approved the formation of an institutional management committee, comprising representatives from industries and trade as well, in the case of technical institutions.

While mentioning that candidates who passed the Diploma of Associate Engineer examinations with distinction should also be given cash award next time, the minister, who is also the controlling authority of the technical boards, asked the chairman to revive the system of giving medals and other rewards to students in the pattern of other educational boards in the province.

She called for efforts and holding market-oriented courses in the technical education sector in order to increase the enrolment in technical school certificate examinations. She also urged the board to introduce further short-duration courses on various skills in line with the market demands.

Prof Anita said that a considerable grant had also been received for improvement of technical education facilities in the province and her department as a first priority would go for establishment of different technology laboratories at the Government College of Technology so that its affiliation with the NED University could be restored.

The minister said in order to ensure proper utilisation of the abandoned educational premises, she had urged the district Nazims, including that of Karachi, to ask the community to adopt the these buildings in their vicinity for educational purposes. The Sindh education department would try to get matching financial assistance to the community from the government in connection with opening of schools or colleges in the buildings, she added.

To a question, SBTE chairman Naeem Shaikh said that to reduce examinations burden the board was considering to allow the institutions affiliated with it to conduct examinations of different skill and technical courses of short duration at their own, while the board would only endorse the certificates issued by the institutes after the examinations.