US students term Hijab symbol of feminism, empowerment

WASHINGTON: While the issue of Hijab for students in Punjab has created a heated debate among mainstream Pakistani political parties, scarf-wearing Muslim students in the United States have termed Hijab a symbol of their empowerment and feminism.

Since the election of President Donald Trump, Hijab is emerging as a symbol of resistance to Islamophobia amid policies from the Trump administration targeting Muslim immigrants. As a part of its series on women of America, a mainstream American newspaper USA Today carried interviews of Muslim university students who defended their right to wear Hijab as an empowering tool.

Functions: Overloading and Default Parameters

Function Overloading

The term function overloading refers to the way C++ allows more than one function in the same scope to share the same name -- as long as they have different parameter lists

• The rationale is that the compiler must be able to look at any function call and decide exactly which function is being invoked
• Overloading allows intuitive function names to be used in multiple contexts
• The parameter list can differ in number of parameters, or types of parameters, or both
• Example: The following 3 functions are considered different and distinguishable by the compiler, as they have different parameter lists

     int Process(double num);    // function 1
     int Process(char letter);              // function 2
     int Process(double num, int position); // function 3
  

• Sample calls, based on the above declarations

     int x;
     float y = 12.34;
     x = Process(3.45, 12); // invokes function 3
     x = Process('f');  // invokes function 2
     x = Process(y);  // invokes function 1 (automatic type conversion applies)

Functions

Functions

A function is a reusable portion of a program, sometimes called a procedure or subroutine.

• Like a mini-program (or subprogram) in its own right
• Can take in special inputs (arguments)
• Can produce an answer value (return value)
• Similar to the idea of a function in mathematics

Why write and use functions?

• Divide-and-conquer
  • Can breaking up programs and algorithms into smaller, more manageable pieces
  • This makes for easier writing, testing, and debugging
  • Also easier to break up the work for team development
• Reusability
  • Functions can be called to do their tasks anywhere in a program, as many times as needed
  • Avoids repetition of code in a program
  • Functions can be placed into libraries to be used by more than one "program"

Control Structures

Control Structures - Intro, Selection

Flow of Control:

Flow of control through any given function is implemented with three basic types of control structures:

• Sequential: default mode. Sequential execution of code statements (one line after another) -- like following a recipe
• Selection: used for decisions, branching -- choosing between 2 or more alternative paths. In C++, these are the types of selection statements:
  • if
  • if/else
  • switch
• Repetition: used for looping, i.e. repeating a piece of code multiple times in a row. In C++, there are three types of loops:
  • while
  • do/while
  • for

CPSP fellows, post graduate trainees interviewed for service in UK

A team of doctors from University of Birmingham, UK is on a visit to Pakistan on invitation of College of Physician and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) for interviewing CPSP fellows and postgraduate trainees for two-year on-job training in UK.

The team comprising Mike Hallissey, Dr Phil Bright and Dr Javid A Kayani is interviewing fellows of CPSP for further training in Birmingham University Hospital for a period of two years in different specialties while postgraduate trainees who have cleared Intermediate Module exam are also being interviewed and the successful candidates would be sent to UK for further training of two years in various subjects.

Lecture on disaster management

Riphah International University and Rescue 1122 jointly organised a seminar on ‘Disaster Risk Management’ here on Monday.

The purpose of the seminar was to equip the university students with the latest developments and trends in the emergency and relief activities. District Emergency Officer (DEO) Dr. Abdul Rehman was the guest speaker in the seminar. Large number of students participated in the seminar.

AIOU conducts research work on early childhood development

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) will start soon research work on early childhood development to fulfill its academic responsibility in the nation-building for a better future.

A research journal on early childhood will be published by the end of this year. Besides this, the University will host National conference on the related subjects on annual basis as part of its consistent efforts of contributing to the country’s socio-economic development.

Pak Youth most precious asset: Gen Bajwa

RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) - Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday met a contingent of 40 college students from remote areas at the General Headquarters, reported Dunya News.

Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) revealed that the meeting was part of the COAS Youth Encouragement Programme.

BZU opposed proposed merger of its two colleges with other varsities

MULTAN: The administration of the Bahauddin Zakariya University has decided to oppose a proposal for the merger of its engineering and agriculture colleges with the Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology (MNSUET) and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture (MNSUA), respectively.

A meeting of the MNSUET steering committee to discuss the merger of both the colleges with the two universities has been called by the Planning and Development Department on March 16 which will be presided over the by P&D Board Chairman Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan.

Quaid-i-Azam University registrar's promotion reverted

ISLAMABAD: The new syndicate of the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) at its second meeting on Monday reverted the promotion of the university’s registrar.

The syndicate met with Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ashraf in the chair. Sources said the syndicate, the supreme decision-making body of the university, rejected the promotion of Registrar Dr Shafiqur Rehman from BPS-20 to BPS-21 approved by the previous syndicate in 2015.

Some officials of the university said the registrar had also been removed from the post and sent on a forced leave. However, four syndicate members Dawn spoke to neither denied nor confirmed the development. However, they confirmed the reversion of the registrar’s promotion.

MBBS classes started at Sukkur medical college 'without approval'

SUKKUR: A controversy over legitimacy of MBBS course at the Ghulam Mohammed Mahar Medical College was triggered on Monday by the director general of health, Islamabad, who told reporters in Sukkur that he did not issue any instructions to the principal or administration allowing admissions for the 2016-17 batch.

His remarks came on the day the college started MBBS classes for the batch after a formal ceremony held on Saturday (March 11) where Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah was the chief guest.

Political will essential inclusive education system

KARACHI: The education of girls cannot be dealt with in isolation; if you focus on them alone, boys will be left out, said development economist Dr Kaiser Bengali on Monday, at a seminar titled ‘Best practices for promoting girls’ education’.

Organised by the Indus Resource Centre (IRC), the seminar highlighted ways of encouraging inclusive education for all across the country, and how the political and ruling elite must take charge.

Stressing that education cannot be delegated to NGOs, Dr Bengali went on to dismiss one-room schools prevalent in rural areas as “useless” and said these must be shut down.

QCB to set up schools, colleges, hospital

QUETTA: The Quetta Cantonment Board (QCB) plans to set up separate schools and colleges for boys and girls and a hospital for civilians living in its housing scheme.

The schools would be set up in the first phase and colleges in the second, QCB Chief Executive Imran Gulzar said in a meeting with members of the Quetta Chamber of Small Traders and Industries (QCSTI).

The chamber’s president, Malik Nadeem Kasi, in his welcome address, spoke about the problems the business community and residents of the scheme faced.

No sign of education reforms in Hassanabdal villages

TAXILA: The initiative of the government to achieve 100pc enrollment and improve the literacy rate seems a political gimmick as most of the schools in rural areas lack basic facilities such as classrooms and teaching staff.

Looking at the state of affairs at the Government Girls’ High School Bhallar Jogi in Hassanabdal, it seems the government has no clear vision to enroll the seven million out-of-school children with many of the existing schools lacking infrastructure to accommodate the newcomers.

Sargodha varsity convocation on 29th

SARGODHA: The 5th convocation of the University of Sargodha will be held on March 29.

An official press release says eligible candidates can get themselves registered till March 17 with their respective departments.

Students of BS, MA/MSc, MS and M.Phil programmes who have completed their degrees till 2013 will get degrees, merit certificates and cash prizes. The university has also decided to award Ph.D degrees to the Ph.D scholars of the year 2014, 15 and 2016.

Candidates who have already got themselves registered for the 2015 convocation are not required to register again but they may contact their departments for registration cards.