LAHORE, July 11: The Government College University syndicate on Friday approved Rs17.97 million deficit budget for the financial year 2003-04.

The syndicate, in its third meeting chaired by GCU vice-chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Aftab, estimated an income of Rs183.18 million while the proposed expenditures were calculated around Rs201.15 million for the current financial year.

The syndicate also approved a proposal for an increase in remuneration for visiting professors. It also approved recommendations of the selection board.

The syndicate also approved emeritus professorship in the GCU in the subjects of chemistry, economics, Urdu and zoology. It also approved the introduction of two-year self-supporting M.Phil programmes in psychology and history departments.

The syndicate also okayed creation of chairs in the history and philosophy departments in recognition of meritorious services rendered by Dr G W Leitner and Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal, respectively. Similarly, a chair would be created in the name of Hazrat Ali Bin Usman Hajveri in the Persian department to pay homage to Data Ganj Bakhsh, the great saint and mystical poet of the sub-continent.

Justice M Javed Buttar, Nazir Saeed, Ahmad Sukhera, Muhammad Farooq Altaf, Prof Dr Saadia Chishti, Lt-Gen (retired) Muhammad Akram, Dr Muhammad Akram Kashmiri, Dr Ishfaq Ahmad, Dr Akmal Husain, Dr Khawaja Imtiaz Ali, Pervez Masud, Dr Muhammad Zikria Butt and Zaheer Ahmad Siddiqui attended the meeting.