LAHORE, Aug 2: Punjab Education Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman says the computerisation of examination data has rooted out ‘booti mafia’ or organised exam manipulating patrons.

He said this at a medal and prize distribution ceremony for position-holders in the matriculation examination, organised by the Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education at Alhamra Hall-II on Tuesday.

The minister said position-holder candidates were the asset of the nation and the government would spend on their higher education in top class educational institutions. He said the Punjab government had enhanced the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) seed money to Rs8 billion and the profit on this amount was being used for the payment of scholarships to some 16,000 students. Next year, he said the PEEF would give scholarships to 30,000 students, including those belonging to other provinces.

The minister claimed that 70 per cent of primary enrolment had been completed, while a 100 per cent literacy rate would be achieved by 2015.

BISE Chairman Prof Dr Akram Kashmiri also spoke.

RE-CHECKING: The Lahore board says the candidates intending to apply for re-checking of their papers may apply in 15 days.

The board says the candidates who appeared in full subjects in the SSC annual examination for 2011 and have been placed under compartment in one or two subject(s) may re-appear in the failing subject(s) till SSC annual examination for 2012.

The candidates intending to improve their grade or marks are allowed to appear in any subject(s) or Part-I or Part-II or both parts with one examination opportunity within one year of passing relevant examination in the same group/subject(s) in current/prevalent syllabus. But it is compulsory to appear and qualify the subjects qualified under concessional marks for improvement. The board said no additional examination opportunity shall be provided in lieu of an opportunity missed for any reason.