LAHORE, Aug 18: Government College University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleequr Rehman on Thursday ordered a cut in university's hostels fee by 35 per cent to facilitate the students who come from far-off areas to seek knowledge.
The GCU Hostels Committee has consequently issued a notification of revised dues for Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal hostels. The new fee structure has been implemented with immediate effect.
The VC has waived the hostels' admission fee, miscellaneous dues and welfare funds besides reducing all other charges.
Chairing a meeting of the GCU Hostels Committee on Thursday, chairman Prof Dr Khalid Pervaiz said it might be the first time in the history of any educational institution that the fee had been reduced. He said the GCU hostels had already very nominal fee and in the wake of the unbridled inflation and education budget cuts, it was fairly difficult to provide students with any relief, but the vice chancellor took a very bold step and reduced the hostels fee by 35 per cent.
Prof Rehman also directed the hostel superintendents that not even a single facility being provided to the students should be affected due to the reduction in dues. “The students, who come from far-off areas to seek knowledge, deserve our special attention,” he said.
He pledged that the university would also increase scholarships for the deserving students through its Endowment Fund Trust.
PEF: The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) is partnering with 1,000 private schools to provide free educational facilities to students under its Foundation Assisted Schools (FAS) programme in 36 districts. At present, PEF's FAS programme is in 29 districts.
As many as 650 new schools in 29 existing districts, while 350 schools in seven new districts -- Khanewal, Sahiwal, Toba Tek Singh, Faisalabad, Hafizabad, Gujranwala and Kasur -- will be partnered under the FAS expansion programme to accommodate more deserving students. The foundation will provide monthly fee as well as textbooks to partner school students.
Plantation Day: The Government College University's botany department on Thursday observed the National Plantation Day by planting saplings on the university premises.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Khaleequr Rehman inaugurated the plantation campaign by planting a sapling at the GCU Scholar's Gardens. Botany department's Dr Zaheer Ahmed Khan and a large number of students were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Rehman announced that the GCU would plant at least 5,000 saplings of indigenous plants on the GCU Kala Shah Kaku Campus to create a healthy and conducive learning environment.
He said the essence of learning lied in the close relationship with the nature. He said the GCU had not only always laid emphasis on academics and sports but it was also well aware of the environmental hazards that had surrounded the green planet that represented life.
Prof Rehman said only safe and unpolluted environment could guarantee the healthy existence of future generations.He directed all university departments to take part in the plantation campaign launched by the botany department in connection with the National Plantation Day.
Later, various academic and administrative heads of the GCU planted trees on the university premises to mark the day.