Punjab higher education initiatives reviewed

197 projects to be completed across province at cost of Rs15 billion

LAHORE:

Punjab government has unveiled a plan to introduce the ‘smart university’ concept besides establishment of new educational institutions through public-private partnership and joint ventures.

This was decided in a high-level meeting held under the chair of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Sunday.

The meeting gave approval in principle to make further recruitment of College Teacher Interns (CTIs) and reviewed matters related to higher education in the province.

The chief minister was also briefed about the progress on setting up of 15 new universities in the province. Buzdar directed to complete the process for filling up the vacant posts of college principals as soon as possible and underscored merit should be ensured in the appointment of controllers and secretaries of education boards.

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He further said that a university in every district would provide better opportunities for higher education to the students, especially female students, adding that establishment of Indus University in Rajanpur will fulfill long-standing demand of the people of the area.

He highlighted that universities will also be established in Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Bhakkar, Hafizabad, Gujranwala and other districts. “University of Taunsa and Women University in Dera Ghazi Khan will remove the sense of deprivation among the people of the area.”

The meeting participants were told that 197 higher education projects would be completed at a sum of Rs15 billion across the province. The process of transfer of land for 21 new colleges out of 88 had been completed.

Meanwhile presiding over another meeting, the chief minister highlighted that the discovery and preservation of thousand-year-old archaeological and historical sites in Punjab were being carried out. Punjab University’s archaeology team had arrived from Khushab and started work on the outskirts of Nowshera tehsil.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2021.