LAHORE: The University of Home Economics (UHE) on Tuesday approved the revised budget of Rs574 million for fiscal year 2020-21.

UHE Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Kanwal Ameen chaired a meeting of the Finance and Planning Committee on campus that was attended by members, including Deputy Finance Secretary Arif Khan, higher education department representative Usman Ibrahim, Punjab Higher Education Commissioner representative Fareed Ahmad, UHE Additional Registrar Rozina Sadiq and Treasurer (A) Sajida Nadeem.

The budget focuses on creation of essential and inevitable posts, consideration and recommendation of civil works, medical assistance, fee concession and refund rules, hostel fee structure, research, scholarship budget.

YAK CONFERENCE: The Virtual University of Pakistan (VUP) on Tuesday organised the first international conference on the yak to highlight the advanced research on the animal, including its paternal genetic diversity, network and current situation in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Dera Ismail Khan Agriculture University Vice Chancellor Dr Masroor Ellahi Babar was the chief guest while VUP Rector Dr Arshad Saleem Bhatti was also present. Eminent scholars from all over the world presented their research work on the animal.

Mr Babar said the yak is considered one of the world’s most significant domestic animals, as it could survive in extreme environments and ensured a livelihood for the local people. He said domestic yak was distributed at high altitudes between 2,000 and 5,000 metres in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, China, and Mongolia in the mountains of Hindukush, Karakoram, Himalayas, Tibetan plateau and Tien Shan.

He said yaks were multipurpose animals providing products such as milk, meat, leather, hair and manure for fuel for people living at high altitudes. In Pakistan, yak pastoralism is restrained to the northern highlands of Skardu, Astore, Diamer and Ganche districts in GB along with Chitral regions, at an altitude of above 3,100 metres.

Pakistan Science Foundation Chairman Prof DrShahid Mahmood Baig said the unique features of this animal were that it was one of the most important genetic resources of Pakistan and needed the focus of the scientific community to explore its potentials to get maximum benefits for local communities.

The VUP rector said it was the need of the hour that people come forward and work on the research factors of such unique multipurpose species.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2021