SSUET budget for 2016-17 passed

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET), Karachi, has passed its budget for the financial year 2016-17.

The budget, passed in a meeting of Board of Governors, was chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jawaid H. Rizvi, brought in its folds two gladdening news for the university’s employees and staff. 

The Board approved the revision of pay scales, an issue which was pending for the last many years, and also announced the launch of health insurance for the employees. 

The approval of these two benefits was the fulfillment of commitment made by Chancellor Jawaid Anwar in his very first speech made after having assumed the office. 

Chancellor Jawaid Anwar had announced to work for upgradation of the university to highest levels under a well conceived planning. 

The board also gave go ahead for purchase of additional lab equipment and carrying out various development schemes. 

Funds were also approved for award of scholarships, Faculty development/new campus, financial incentives to Faculty for carrying out research projects. 

Allocation has also been made for the SSUET’s Research Innovative and Commercialization Centre, which has now been made fully functional under Dr Rabia Inam.

KHA astroturf's foundation stone laid

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Sindh Chief Secretary, Mohammad Siddiq Memon, along with the Chancellor of the Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology (SSUET), Karachi, Jawaid Anwar, unveiled the foundation stone of the sports complex project of the Karachi Hockey Association (KHA), located just opposite the SSUET campus. 

The complex will have a hockey ground with astroturf besides a swimming pool and a multi-purpose hall as suggested by Chancellor Jawaid Anwar and approved by the Chief Secretary. 

Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, CS Siddiq Memon observed that upon the directive of the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, the allocation for sports promotion in Sindh has been increased in the budget from Rs one to two billion.

He pointed out that the Sindh Government, besides laying astroturfs, was carrying out construction of sports complexes throughout the province and at present 38 sports-related schemes were under implementation with KHA’s Sports Complex opposite SSUET a part of the same. 

He informed that the schemes have been completed in Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas where astroturfs was laid. On the special directive of the Chief Minister 54 more projects were being initiated and funds allocated thereof in the budget 2016, he informed adding that objective was to make all out efforts to provide sports facilities to the youth of Sindh. 

He declared that Karachi Hockey Association (KHA) will be given a grant of Rs 30 lacs this year. Addressing the ceremony, the SSUET Chancellor, Jawaid Anwar thanked the Chief Secretary with whose efforts development of the hockey ground had started and it was a welcome initiative that an astroturf will be laid there.

He underlined the necessity of having a swimming pool and a multi-purpose hall in this under construction complex and pointed out that there are a large number of universities, colleges and schools around this ground whose students would be able to benefit from the facilities of this project. 

He congratulated the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and particularly the Karachi Hockey Association (KHA) for making outstanding efforts for the promotion of hockey. 

He announced that after the astroturf was laid there, the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology will organize an inaugural match between the SSUET’s hockey players, Olympians and Internationals.

He declared that the university will first hold an All Karachi Hockey Tournament on this ground and will provide a good number of students to benefit from this ground. 

He extended all out cooperation of the university towards the promotion of hockey. 

Earlier the General Secretary, KHA, Farooq Khan, thanked the Chief Secretary Siddiq Memon, Sports Secretary, Mohammed Rashid, and Chief Engineer, Aslam Maher, for their contribution in the development of sports complex and laying of astroturf which would provide an opportunity for the youngsters to play hockey . 

The Senior Vice-President, KHA, Aijazuddin, described the project of sports complex and astroturf as a gift from Sindh Government and the youth should take maximum advantage of the same so that new talent could emerge. 

The ceremony was largely attended, among others, by, Anwar Ali, Advisor to Vice-Chancellor, Registrar Syed Sarfraz Ali, besides Olympians Saleem Sherwani, Qamar Ibrahim, Sameer Hussain and Internationals Jan Mohammed, Mohammed Ali and Mubbashir Mkhtar who is also the Director Sports of the SSUET.

Capacity building of Sindh health officials

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Aga Khan University (AKU) in partnership with the Department of Health, Government of Sindh, and John Snow Inc is hosting a ceremony to recognize and review ongoing efforts into capacity building of government health managers in Sindh.

The Sindh Health Department’s district and provincial managers who have successfully completed standalone graduate courses in health sector reform and quality management, as part of an initiative to build capacity to improve the health delivery system in the province, will also receive transcripts and certificates at the ceremony. 

This is the first time government managers have been able to study while continuing to work in the Health Department. 

The programme, offered every weekend, is a blend of theory and practice, and targets working professionals who wish to enhance their academic knowledge and leadership skills. 

So far, Sindh is the only province that has invested in a formal MoU for capacity building of health managers and has a tripartite agreement between the Government of Sindh, John Snow Inc and AKU.

School students discuss issues with Ombudsman

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Foundation for Research and Human development (FRHD), in collaboration with Action Aid, arranged a prospect for children’s councils comprising of young activist from government schools to meet and have one-on-one discussion with Provincial Ombudsman, Sindh, Asad Ashraf Malik. 

The meeting with Ombudsman was held at the Sindh Secretariat in Karachi with the primary objective of providing an opportunity to children for discussing education-related issues that negatively impede with their academics and integrate vulnerable children with education. 

The students discussed the issues bothering them face to face with the Mohtasib who promised to take immediate notice in order to rectify the problems. 

The three key problems that the students were able to highlight among others were the mismanagement and corruption of School Management Committee (SMC) fund in government schools, students being deprived of their right to free course books by the government and the high rate of student dropout at Class VIII because of their financial inability of affording the examination board fee for matriculation examination. 

The member students of Children’s Councils proposed recommendations those are directly link with the inclusion of vulnerable children in education system and quality education. It included ensuring implementation of Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act-2013, in its true letter and spirit, specifically Section 10, constituting committees, as provided under the Ombudsman’s Act, to monitor the working of government schools specially posting of teaching staff besides forming committees to ensure imparting formal and informal education to the Juvenile with the view to rehabilitate the Juveniles. 

They further sought providing access to and support quality professional learning for school staff, constituting committee for making recommendations to the Government of Sindh for legislation regarding the employment of Children Act in view of Act promulgated by the Federal Government in the year 1991 and increasing the SMC fund related to education and create a committee for monitoring the holistic dispersion and utilization of the fund. 

The Executive Director of the Foundation for Research and Human Development (FRHD), Nazra Jahan, acknowledged that education was the most essential ingredient for the development of a nation. 

“It is a universal fact that nations who have reached the heights of the development and prosperity have done it by using education and information as a tool to do it. The students, being the major stakeholder of education system, can serve as an asset to improvise the education tools. And implementation of Article 25-A is the guarantee to eradicate poverty from Pakistan,” the FRHD official reckoned. 

The Sindh Mohtasib arranged for a 20-minute presentation during which children were briefed about Children Complaint Office (CCO) and the precise way through which they can file complaints in line with the mandate of Ombudsmen.

Physicians appeal for tobacco control measures

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The renowned physicians working in major hospitals of Pakistan have sent a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, raising serious concerns on the growing tobacco epidemic in the country. 

“Cigarette smoking kills more than 100,000 people every year in the country. This death toll is far greater in number than total deaths taking place as a result of suicidal bombings, traffic accidents and crime related killings,” Prof Javaid Khan, Chair. National Alliance for Tobacco Control and Professor of Medicine at the Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi, submitted in the petition. 

“We, the doctors, see the victims of tobacco every day in their clinical practice and are very concerned on the growing mortality and morbidity due to tobacco use in the country,” he remarked. 

Prof Javaid Khan warned that failure to control tobacco use in the country would be a health and economic disaster for the country. “Tobacco use increases the risk of heart attacks, hypertension, stroke, various lung diseases and twenty different types of cancers,” he explained. 

Elaborating on the impact of tobacco on Pakistan's economy he said that Pakistanis spent over Rs. 260 billion on over 64 billion cigarettes in the year 2015 alone. 

“Equal if not more amount was spent on consuming smokeless tobacco in the form of paan, naswar and gutka. Huge sum of Pakistan's foreign exchange is spent in importing medicines for treating diseases caused by tobacco. Tobacco control measures would help in improving the country's economy,” he reckoned. 

The petition was signed by well-known physicians belonging to leading hospitals of Pakistan including Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Dow University of Health Sciences, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Liaquat National Hospital, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore and Rahim Yar Khan, Gulab Devi Chest Hospital Lahore, King Edward Medical College, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar and Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi.

The petition demanded that the ‘Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of non-smoker's Health Ordinance of 2002’ should be strictly enforced in order to control tobacco epidemic in the country. 

The doctors urged that all public places and public transport should be made completely smoke free in order to protect the health of non-smokers. 

The petition also advised the government to increase the taxation on cigarette in the forthcoming budget as at present cigarette prices in the country are lowest in the region.

They claimed that according to World Bank research increasing the tax by 10 percent, tobacco consumption in the country can be reduced by 11 percent. 

The doctors also raised their concern that despite of law which prohibited the sale of tobacco products to Under-18 age group no shopkeeper has ever been punished in Pakistan for selling cigarettes to minor. 

The letter said that the strong pictorial health warnings on tobacco products are a proven strategy to reduce its demand. The petition demanded of the government to increase the size of pictorial health warning on cigarette pack to 85% without any further delay. 

The doctors regretted that in spite of the fact that tobacco is responsible for almost 50% of all cancer cases in the country, yet smoking is still being advertised in the country at the point of sale. Also, it is portrayed through TV drama serials as a pleasurable, cool, glamorous and an adventurous act. 

The petition demanded a comprehensive ban on all forms of tobacco advertising and sponsorship in the country. The physicians also appealed that all universities and colleges must be made smoking-free zones in order to discourage youth from taking up this addiction, suggesting that there should be no tobacco vendors/shops allowed within walking distance of schools, colleges or universities.

Administrator Karachi East lauds SSUET heatstroke treatment centre

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Administrator Karachi District East, Rehmatullah Shaikh, visited the Heat Stroke Treatment Centre set up by the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET), Karachi, at its campus and lauded the university’s initiative. 

At the centre he was received by the SSUET Registrar, Syed Sarfraz Ali, who took him around and informed that it was established to take care of the university students in case of any heat stroke incident during heightened temperatures. 

He shared with the Administrator that, on the directives of Chancellor Jawaid Anwar, the centre besides taking care of the university students, it will also cater to the needs of any heat stroke victim from outside the campus.

Administrator Rehmatullah Shaikh inquired about the condition of a victim and said that it was appreciative that the university has taken such an initiative. 

He said although the temperature, at present was on the lower side, yet the centre will remain functional until the end of the Holy month of Ramazan and as the weather conditions started changing. 

The SSUET Director Sports, Mubbashir Mukhtar, said that the university has established the camp as one of its social responsibility. 

The SSUET had taken a lead over other universities with the establishment of a Heat Stroke Treatment Centre which was inaugurated by the SSUET Chancellor, Jawaid Anwar, on May 19.

Chancellor highlights SSUET glories

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chancellor of the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET), Karachi, Jawaid Anwar, has remarked that no country can ever develop until it is free of corruption with discipline having been infused in every sector of the society.

“A disciplined society can only be guaranteed when sectors like education and sports are freed from corruption and a heavy dose of discipline injected,” he said while talking to a group of journalists at his office. 

“We at the SSUET have fully focused to achieve the cherished objectives by fully concentrating on improving the standard of education with greater focus on promoting disciplined sports,” he observed. 

Chancellor Jawaid Anwar said that there’s a big gap between certified work force like doctors, engineers, technologists and scientists, and non-certified work force like plumbers, diploma holders and similar other professions and this gap needed to be bridged to ensure fast economic progress. 

He said that in order to achieve this objective, emphasis was being laid on introducing courses at Aligarh Institute of Technology (AIT), an offshoot of the Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA) so as to promote creative abilities of its students to help them contribute towards national economic progress. 

He underlined the importance of sports and said that at the SSUET, the sports department has been reorganized with the induction of sport professionals like Mubbashir Mukhtar as its Director. 

Pointing out that the SSUET is performing well in sports, he said the objective is not to win awards alone but infuse a sportsman spirit among students to take wins as a pride and defeats as a lesson with positive attitudes which in turn will infuse discipline in them. 

He described corruption as a ground reality and there was a need to transform the mindset against this evil by keeping the vision of great reformer and educationist Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in view. 

Jawaid Anwar told a questioner that their sports policy was very simple, having been based on promoting the students’ physical and mental growth and keeping them engaged in constructive and positive activities. 

He said that the university is taking stock of a policy for sports-based admissions while the university has allocated a big chunk of fund for award of scholarships to merited students and particularly those who face financial constraints. 

“Our policy is that no student is allowed to give up education just because of financial problem," he stressed.

The Chancellor said that in order to ensure merit, the university management is making efforts against various malpractices and has taken up this challenge as a mission and this has started producing a positive thinking. 

In this regard he particularly referred to the work being done at Career Planning department under the guidance of a highly educational expert Siraj Khilji, whereby a positive guidance is being provided to students. 

He told the journalists that the sports activities at SSUET are being brought into a system with an end to adhocism. This would include sports based admissions and scholarships. 

He informed that the university has various sport teams like cricket, hockey, football badminton, table tennis, basket ball, boxing under qualified coaches while a team of girls in basketball has also been raised. He said plans are afoot to raise teams in snooker, squash and other sports. 

He said that their teams have won trophies and awards in various events and the university can also hold events under HEC. He shared that the SSUET’s Electronic team was the national robotic champion. 

The Vice-President AMUOBA, Anwar Ali, Director Sports SSUET, Mubbashir Mukhtar and Director Literary and Cultural Forum, Razi Haider, were also present on the occasion.