LAHORE, May 18: India is putting pressure on Pakistan to achieve its ulterior motives, but the nation is ready to face every challenge to its freedom and sovereignty.

This was stated by Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool while speaking at the 33rd convocation of the College of Home Economics on Saturday.

Listing other challenges being faced by the nation, he stressed the need to promote the culture of tolerance, peace and brotherhood. He urged the students to play their role in developing this much needed culture.

The governor also called for the promotion of literacy to create awareness among masses. “The literacy rate in the province is around 50 per cent, while the figures of female literacy rate are even more low,” he said.

He said the government had launched various literacy projects at villages level to increase literacy level in the province.

Stressing the need to promote quality education, he said the education imparted and acquired must had relevance to the society, industry and the job market. He said the education department had this year implemented the newly revised curricula for Class-I to XII.

He also said the cost of quality education was increasing and somebody had to pay the price. He said the government was committed to help out the deserving students by offering scholarships. He claimed that the government had allocated a huge sum of money to assist deserving students next year. He said the government would also provide funds for PhD students to promote research culture in the province.

The governor said the government was also encouraging the private sector to come forward and share the burden to impart quality education. As a move towards this direction, he said the government had recently awarded charters to seven institutions in the province.

Earlier, college principal Naseem Tasleemullah presented a college report listing its activities and achievements. She also demanded that the governor should help the college to acquire 6.5 kanal land adjacent to its back boundary wall to meet future needs. She also demanded that the government should give Rs2.244 million for massive backlog of overdue repairs. She also demanded the provision of a production-cum-sales centre for articles made by students and construction of shed-type waiting area for parents of hostel residents. She also demanded the filling of 17 vacant posts of non-gazetted staff as well as a librarian and a lecturer in home nursing.