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Prime Minister Youth Skills Development Program (PMYSDP)

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Shahbaz hailed for his educational programmes

LAHORE: Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) scholars on Thursday paid rich tribute to educational programmes of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a function held at the beginning of the forth phase of laptop distribution at Aiwan-e-Iqbal, and said that due to these programmes, children belonging to poor families were also getting higher education opportunities.

Zulaikha Malik, a PEEF scholar studying at FC College Lahore, while addressing the function, said that she belonged to a poor family of Qila Gujar Singh and opened her eyes as an orphan.

TEVTA offers Financial Market Employability short course

Lahore: TEVTA in association along with MIND & MARKET is going to launch 3 months financial market employability training course in 9 institutes of Lahore.

For this purpose, interested candidates can submit their application forms till May 2nd, 2017 and the classes of this training program will begin from May 8th, 2017.  

Pakistan in need of 36,000 PhD scholars

Lahore: The chairperson of Higher Education Commission on Thursday said that, Pakistan is facing a shortage of almost 36,000 PhDs in various zones and to serve the purpose the government requirements to considerably increase the higher education budget.

While addressing a group of journalists from Islamabad at Government College University (GCU) Lahore,

Computer Programming - Numbers

Every programming language provides support for manipulating different types of numbers such as simple whole integers and floating point numbers. C, Java, and Python categorize these numbers in several categories based on their nature.

Let's go back and check the data types chapter, where we listed down the core data types related to numbers −

Type	Keyword	Value range which can be represented by this data type
Number	int	-32,768 to 32,767 or -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
Small Number	short	-32,768 to 32,767
Long Number	long	-2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
Decimal Number	float	1.2E-38 to 3.4E+38 till 6 decimal places

Two-day Book Bazaar Concludes On Saturday

SLAMABAD, (Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2017 ):A two-day weekly book Bazaar concluded here on Saturday. It was inagurated on Friday at premises of Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL). Talking to APP an official said, "the publishers and book sellers of Islamabad and Rawalpindi set up their stalls at weekly book bazaar." Books on various subjects were available at the bazaar on discounted rates.

Computer Programming - Loops

Let's consider a situation when you want to print Hello, World! five times. Here is a simple C program to do the same −

#include <stdio.h>

main() {

   printf( "Hello, World!\n");
   printf( "Hello, World!\n");
   printf( "Hello, World!\n");
   printf( "Hello, World!\n");
   printf( "Hello, World!\n");

}

Hub School Attracting Educationists From Abroad

KARACHI, (Pakistan Point News - 28th Apr, 2017 ): The Hub School, founded by Jaffer Foundation outside Karachi, has started attracting the educationists from abroad and among the many who visited the institution recently included Patricia Johnson, an Australian who is currently teaching in China. She had remained the President of the English Speaking Union (ESU) for Australia and Queensland. Talking to media at Hub School after a visit along with her husband, Patricia recalled that she and Abdul Kader Jaffer met at many international conferences over the years.

SU To Conduct LLB Annual Examinations From May 12

HYDERABAD, (Pakistan Point News - 28th Apr, 2017 ): The Controller of Examinations (Annual) University of Sindh Jamshoro has informed that L.L.B. Part-I, II and III annual examinations of 2016 will be started from May 12. He has advised the concerned candidates to contact with their respective colleges management for detailed information.

National Skills University to be Established in Islamabad

First ever Public Sector University for technical and vocational education will be set up in the country very soon. National Skills University will be established in Islamabad in a few months time.

This was announced by Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training, Engr. Muhammad Baligh ur Rehman at the Inauguration Ceremony of Al-Farabi Technical and Vocational Training Centre in Nilore, here on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister also said that technical and vocational education is as important for society as conventional education. He said that a properly trained person will not only help himself in terms of getting better employment opportunities and ensuring safe work but the society will also benefit from his skills and efficiency. “Focus on technical and vocational education will not only improve individual performance but also increase our National Productivity”, he emphasized.

“Both boys and girls should have opportunities to get vocational education and hence become productive members of the society”, he said.

Minister said that besides formal education, teachers should also inculcate positive thinking in students, train them for teamwork and teach them ethical conduct. “Character building and ethical grooming is even more important than formal education; we need to harness the talent of our young population for useful purposes, make them life-long learners and contributors for well being of society”, he said.

On Public-Private partnership he said that such ventures have helped increase efficiency and accessibility in education sector. “Prime Minister’s Education Reform Program is in full swing; under the program government schools operating in the capital are being upgraded with modern infrastructure and facilities” , he said.

The model training centre in Nilore has been established under Public-Private Partnership Program by Al-Farabi Islamic School and Degree College in collaboration with National Education Foundation (NEF).

13 Year Old Pakistani Girl Wants to Read a Book

Some people love to play video games, while others prefer a couch, some popcorns, and some good old binge watching. There are also people who are addicted to staying fit or the ones who can’t live without a visit to the mall every now and then.

And then, there are people like Aisha Arif Esbhani, a 13-year-old Pakistani, who can’t live without a book by her side. Addiction is a strange thing.

Even at such a tiny age, Aisha has big dreams for herself. Last year, she embarked on a mission to read a book from every country on the planet. Impressed, I reached out to Aisha to talk about her wonderful journey through the literary works from around the world.

“Aisha is on a mission to read a book from every country on the globe”.

“Reading has always been my passion!” said Aisha. “And throughout the years, there is one thing I have noticed- the power of words! Words can really change a person’s perspective of the world!”

Reading is a wonderful habit and it helps you in more ways than you can imagine; it helps you write better, improves your memory, helps develop analytical thinking and even makes you smarter. While there are a number of obvious benefits that come from reading, studies have also shown that reading is one of the best ways to improve empathy.

“What great writers do is to turn you into the writer. In literary fiction, the incompleteness of the characters turns your mind to trying to understand the minds of others,” says psychologist and researcher David Comer Kidd.

A resident of Karachi, Aisha is currently a student at the Karachi Grammar School. She studies in the 8th grade but you would never know that by the way she talks. Nothing about the way she talks or the magnitude of the mission she has taken off is reflective of how old she is. She is mature well beyond her age and her hold on the English language is remarkable to say the very least. She is also an exceptional writer, and has also been featured in Dawn, a leading English daily.

“After discovering that most of the books I read as a preschooler, as an adolescent, were by a British or North American author, I wanted to explore the writers of the African continent and the tiny islands in Asia,” she wrote in a post on her Facebook page, Reading Books From Every Country.

“I wanted to explore the nations of which I had never read any books. I wanted to explore stories that had been translated into English.”

Her love for reading has always pushed her into trying the most of it. Her journey started back in April 2016, when she set herself on a quest of reading at least one novel, short story collection or memoir from every single country of the world i.e. written by a native author belonging to every single country.

She created a Facebook page and got a lot of appreciation from social media users around Pakistan as well as around the world. Notable personalities reached out to her to commend her on her efforts and help her out. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Former President of Nigeria, sent her a message with the names of some great Nigerian author, while Karlis Verdins, a poet Latvia provided her a story “Come to Me”.

However, in December of last year, Facebook removed her page for violating their underage policy. Ironically, she turned 13 just a few days after her page was removed. Aisha didn’t give up at that and created a new Facebook page all over again.

“She has already completed 80 countries.”

Aisha has uploaded a complete list of all the books she has read as well as the ones she plans to read on her page. She also regularly uploads reviews of the books she finds interesting and worth reading. Aisha is open for recommendations for the countries she still hasn’t checked off and you are welcome to help her out by commenting on her list.

Microsoft & HEC Bring the ‘Imagine Cup’ to Pakistan

Microsoft and Higher Education Commission (HEC) collaborated to bring Microsoft’s Imagine Cup to Pakistan. It is the world’s most renowned technology competition for students. Started in 2003, Microsoft’s Imagine Cup is the ideal opportunity for the youthful innovators, from around the world, to give express their imagination, bring ideas to life and win $100,000.

Imagine Cup is held annually by Microsoft Corp., bringing together the young technologists to play their part in resolving some of the world’s toughest challenges.

HEC Wins Global Good Governance Award

The Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan has won the Global Good Governance (3G) Award of Cambridge IF Analytica, an international organisation based in Cambridge, UK. The award distribution ceremony was held in Dubai, UAE.

The 3G Awards are presented to government organisations, corporations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for excellence in transparency, good governance and social responsibility.

Computer Programming - Decisions

Decision making is critical to computer programming. There will be many situations when you will be given two or more options and you will have to select an option based on the given conditions. For example, we want to print a remark about a student based on his secured marks. Following is the situation −

Assume given marks are x for a student:

If given marks are more than 95, then
Student is brilliant

Computer Programming - Operators

An operator in a programming language is a symbol that tells the compiler or interpreter to perform specific mathematical, relational or logical operation and produce final result. This chapter will explain the concept of operators and it will take you through the important arithmetic and relational operators available in C, Java, and Python.

Arithmetic Operators
Computer programs are widely used for mathematical calculations. We can write a computer program which can do simple calculation like adding two numbers (2 + 3) and we can also write a program, which can solve a complex equation like P(x) = x4 + 7x3 - 5x + 9.

NED University To Set Up Traffic Engineering Research Center

NED University of Science and Technology will set up a Center of Excellence for Transportation Engineering Research (CETER) Pakistan in collaboration with Transportation Research Institute, Hasselt University of Belgium and Higher Education Commission likely by August 2017.

Dr Sarosh H Lodhi, Vice Chancellor NED University of Science and Technology said:

Contribute to Open Source Projects As a Student [Guide]

Some of the best products and software available today are due to the brilliance of open-source software. For those who don’t know, an open source software is one where its source code is open and available with a license in which the copyright holder provides the rights to study, change, and distribute the software to anyone and for any purpose.

There are whole communities on the internet that work on their projects of choice.

Computer Programming - Keywords

So far, we have covered two important concepts called variables and their data types. We discussed how to use int, long, and float to specify different data types. We also learnt how to name the variables to store different values.

Though this chapter is not required separately because reserved keywords are a part of basic programming syntax, we kept it separate to explain it right after data types and variables to make it easy to understand.

Computer Programming - Variables

Variables are the names you give to computer memory locations which are used to store values in a computer program.

For example, assume you want to store two values 10 and 20 in your program and at a later stage, you want to use these two values. Let's see how you will do it. Here are the following three simple steps −

Computer Programming - Data Types

Let's discuss about a very simple but very important concept available in almost all the programming languages which is called data types. As its name indicates, a data type represents a type of the data which you can process using your computer program. It can be numeric, alphanumeric, decimal, etc.

Let’s keep Computer Programming aside for a while and take an easy example of adding two whole numbers 10 & 20, which can be done simply as follows −

Adobe Illustrator - Short Cut Keys

Selecting & Moving
To access Selection or Direction Selection tool (whichever was used last) at any time	Control
To switch between Selection and Direct Selection tools	Ctrl–`
To cycle through tools behind column tool	Alt–click tool
To make copy while dragging	Alt
Add to a selection	Shift
Move selection (in 1-point increments)	Arrow keys
Move selection (in 10-point increments)	Shift–any Arrow keys
Lock selected artwork	Ctrl–2
Lock all deselected artwork	Ctrl–Alt–Shift–2
Unlock all artwork	Ctrl–Alt–2
Hide selected artwork	Ctrl–3
Hide all deselected artwork	Ctrl–Alt–Shift–3
Show all artwork	Ctrl–Alt–3
Path Editing
Join and Average at same time	Ctrl–Alt–Shift–J
To get Anchor Point tool while using Pen tool	Alt
Switch between Add Anchor Point and Delete Anchor Point tools	Alt
To get Add Anchor Point tool while using Scissors tool	Alt
Move anchor point while drawing with Pen tool	Spacebar
Create closed path with Pencil or Paintbrush tool	When finished drawing, hold Alt and release mouse
Connect to an open (and selected) path with Pencil tool	Ctrl–drag
Painting & Transforming
To get Eyedropper tool while using Live Paint Bucket tool	Alt
Samples intermediate color from gradient, picture, etc. with Eyedropper	Shift
Sets center point and shows dialog	Alt–click with tool
Duplicates while transforming selection	Alt–drag
Transform pattern without transforming object	Tilde(~)–drag
Scale proportionally with Selection tool	Shift–drag bounding box
Scale from center with Selection tool	Alt–drag bounding box
Move mesh point along path with Mesh tool	Shift–drag
Add mesh point with Mesh tool without changing color	Shift–click
Remove mesh point with Mesh tool	Alt–click
Shapes (While Drawing)
Draw from center	Alt
Draw from center with dialog	Alt–click
Constrain proportion	Shift
Constrain orientation of polygons, stars, spirals	Shift
Move object while drawing	Hold Spacebar
Add/subtract sides, points, spiral segments	Up or Down Arrow
Decrease/Increase inner radius	Ctrl
Create continuous duplicates along mouse movement	Hold Tilde(~) while dragging
Viewing & Guides
To get Hand Tool (while NOT editing Type)	Spacebar
To get Hand Tool (while editing Type)	Hold Control, then Spacebar. (This will show the Zoom tool.) Let go of Control so you see the Hand tool and immediately start dragging the mouse so you don't end up typing spaces. Be sure to let go of the Spacebar while dragging so you again don't type more spaces.
Zoom In Tool	Ctrl–Spacebar
Zoom Out Tool	Ctrl–Alt–Spacebar
Zoom In to exact size	Ctrl–Spacebar–drag
Switch between Outline and Preview modes	Ctrl–Y
Switch between GPU and CPU preview (if available)	Ctrl–E
Hide/Show all tools and panels	Tab
Hide/Show all panels except Tools and Control	Shift–Tab
Switch between horizontal/vertical guide	Hold Alt while dragging out a new guide
Release Guide (turns it into a regular path)	Ctrl–Shift–double–click
Type
Increase/Decrease size of selected text by 2pts	Ctrl–Shift–> or <
Increase/Decrease size of selected text by 10pts	Ctrl–Alt–Shift–> or <
Increase/Decrease Leading by 2pts	Alt–Down/Up Arrow
Increase/Decrease kerning/tracking	Alt–Right/Left Arrow
Kerning/tracking x 5	Ctrl–Alt–Right/Left Arrow
Increase/Decrease baseline shift	Shift–Alt–Up/Down Arrow
Baseline shift x 5	Ctrl–Alt–Shift Up/Down Arrow
Align type left, right, center	Ctrl–Shift–L, R, C
Justify with last line left aligned	Ctrl–Shift–J
Justify last line	Ctrl–Shift–F
Reset horizontal/vertical scale to 100%	Ctrl–Shift–X
Reset kerning or tracking to 0	Ctrl–Alt–Q
Panels
Show/Hide Brushes panel	F5
Show/Hide Color panel	F6
Show/Hide Layers panel	F7
Show/Hide Info panel	Ctrl–F8
Show/Hide Gradient panel	Ctrl–F9
Show/Hide Stroke panel	Ctrl–F10
Show/Hide Attributes panel	Ctrl–F11
Show/Hide Graphic Styles panel	Shift–F5
Show/Hide Appearance panel	Shift–F6
Show/Hide Align panel	Shift–F7
Show/Hide Transform panel	Shift–F8
Show/Hide Pathfinder panel	Shift–Ctrl–F9
Show/Hide Transparency panel	Shift–Ctrl–F10
Show/Hide Symbols panel	Shift–Ctrl–F11
Layers Panel
To create new layer and edit properties	Alt–click New Layer button
Toggle layer between Preview/Outline mode	Ctrl–click on eye
Show layer while turning off all others	Alt–click on eye
Select all items on layer	Alt–click layer name
Copy selected item to different layer	Alt–drag selection square in Layers panel
To create the new layer at the top of list	Ctrl–click New Layer button
To create the new layer below selected layer	Ctrl–Alt–click New Layer button
Color Panel
Saturate/Desaturate current color	Shift–drag color slider
Change Color Mode	Shift–click color bar
Select compliment of current color	Ctrl–click color bar
Swatches Panel
Create a swatch as a global color	Crtl–Shift–click New Swatch button
Replace a swatch with another	Alt–drag new swatch over old
Miscellaneous Good Stuff
Create New Symbol	F8
Swap colors in a gradient	Alt–drag a color stop onto another
Revert file	F12

Tools
V	Selection
A	Direct Selection
Y	Magic Wand
Q	Lasso
P	Pen
+	Add Anchor Point
-	Delete Anchor Point
Shift–C	Anchor Point
Shift–`	Curvature
T	Type
Shift–T	Touch Type
\	Line Segment
M	Rectangle
L	Ellipse
B	Paintbrush
Shift–B	Blob Brush
Shift–N	Shaper
N	Pencil
Shift–E	Eraser
C	Scissors
R	Rotate
O	Reflect
S	Scale
Shift–W	Width
Shift–R	Warp
E	Free Transform
Shift–M	Shape Builder
K	Live Paint Bucket
Shift–L	Live Paint Selection
Shift–P	Perspective Grid
Shift–V	Perspective Selection
U	Mesh
G	Gradient
I	Eyedropper
W	Blend
Shift–S	Symbol Sprayer
J	Column Graph
Shift–O	Artboard
Shift–K	Slice
H	Hand
Z	Zoom
X	Toggle between Fill & Stroke
Shift–X	Swap Fill & Stroke
D	Default Fill & Stroke (white fill/black stroke)
<	Fill or Stroke w/Color
>	Fill or Stroke w/Gradient
/	Fill or Stroke w/None
Shift–D	Cycle through Drawing Modes
F	Cycle through Screen Modes
Double–click tools to bring up options.
Press CAPS LOCK to change tool pointer to crosshair.
Hold down Shift to constrain movement to 45°, 90°, 135°, or 180°.

Computer Programming - Basic Syntax

Let’s start with a little coding, which will really make you a computer programmer. We are going to write a single-line computer program to write Hello, World! on your screen. Let’s see how it can be written using different programming languages.

Hello World Program in C
Try the following example using our online compiler option available at www.compileonline.com.

HEC Launches Online Complaints Portal for Students

Despite lack of funds, Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has been trying to automate and digitize its operations. Processes like the Degree Attestation Service and Degree Equivalence Service can now be carried out remotely.

The commission has recently launched a new portal which will enable students to get their higher education related complaints resolved.

Computer Programming - Environment

Though Environment Setup is not an element of any Programming Language, it is the first step to be followed before setting on to write a program.

When we say Environment Setup, it simply implies a base on top of which we can do our programming. Thus, we need to have the required software setup, i.e., installation on our PC which will be used to write computer programs, compile, and execute them. For example, if you need to browse Internet, then you need the following setup on your machine −

Computer Programming - Basics

We assume you are well aware of English Language, which is a well-known Human Interface Language. English has a predefined grammar, which needs to be followed to write English statements in a correct way. Likewise, most of the Human Interface Languages (Hindi, English, Spanish, French, etc.) are made of several elements like verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, propositions, and conjunctions, etc.

Computer Programming - Overview

Introduction to Computer Program
Before getting into computer programming, let us first understand computer programs and what they do.

A computer program is a sequence of instructions written using a Computer Programming Language to perform a specified task by the computer.

The two important terms that we have used in the above definition are −

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Zubair calls for fostering quality education

Governor Sindh Mohammad Zubair has said that quality higher education was the basis for prosperity in every sphere of life and that it promotes an era of accelerated progress for any country.
This he said while addressing the national research programme for universities award distribution ceremony at Governor House here on Friday.
Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, and Vice Chancellors of various universities also attended the programme.

200 Sindh students to get education in Islambad

Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar has said that Sindh education department is striving hard to provide better education facilities to the students of rural areas of Sindh.
This he said while witnessing an MoU signing ceremony between Sindh Education Foundation and A Q Khan Schooling System Islamabad, said a statement on Thursday.

For the cause of education

It is an undeniable reality that all the classroom practices and academic activities in Pakistani classrooms are shaped by examinations. Any decision or changes being suggested in the process of evaluation or assessment will have long lasting effects on over all education in the country. Hence it is imperative that the imposition of Board exams in the name of Assessment for Grade V should be discussed at length with all the stake holders and all aspects of the decision should be carefully studied in advance. The haste in which this naively planned program is being imposed on private schools is questionable.

E-Commerce Quick Guide

The commerce is overseen at its effect in the current business trends.
You can build a great network of audience when you enter into the E-Commerce. We need a perfect guide to initiate an E-Commerce business.

The E-Commerce Guide:
Have a proper business plan on what are all the products and services you are going to sell. Your online store should resemble the name of your business. Bring Your Business online with the best E-Commerce packages that suits your business.

Have a good plan to drive your business online. Get a proper Idea to build your E-commerce website. Be careful in your planning and make sure that the website looks professional with the advanced features. Be innovative to attract the audience.

Know about your competitors and audience. Design a best website interface. Ensure that the user experiences the appreciable user friendliness when they use your site. Showcase your products attractively with the high clarity images and branded products to attract the viewers. Make offers, offer discounts and coupons for the trending products in the online market to drive customers.You should promote your business in social media platforms like communities and groups. It will help you promote your business worldwide very easily.You should create a specific group for your business in social media and attract the people.

As in the case of online business, security is the major issue. So, make your E-commerce site fully secured with the advanced security options.Try to build a brand name with the perfect business drive, it will help you a lot to sustain in the online business market.

E-Commerce EDI

EDI stands for Electronic Data Interchange. EDI is an electronic way of transferring business documents in an organization internally between its various departments or externally with suppliers, customers or any subsidiaries etc. In EDI, paper documents are replaced with electronic documents like word documents, spreadsheets etc.

E-Commerce B2C Mode

In B2C model, business Website is a place where all transactions take place between a business organization and consumer directly.

In B2C Model, a consumer goes to the website, selects a catalog, orders the catalog and an email is sent to business organization. After receiving the order, goods would be dispatched to the customer. Following are the key features of a B2C Model

E-Commerce - B2B Model

Website following B2B business model sells its product to an intermediate buyer who then sells the product to the final customer. As an example, a wholesaler places an order from a company's website and after receiving the consignment, sells the end product to final customer who comes to buy the product at wholesaler's retail outlet.

E-Commerce Security Systems

Security is an essential part of any transaction that takes place over the internet. Customer will loose his/her faith in e-business if its security is compromised. Following are the essential requirments for safe e-payments/transactions:

E-Commerce Payment Systems

E-Commerce or Electronics Commerce sites use electronic payment where electronic payment refers to paperless monetary transactions. Electronic payment has revolutionized the business processing by reducing paper work, transaction costs, labour cost. Being user friendly and less time consuming than manual processing, helps business organization to expand its market reach / expansion. Some of the modes of electronic payments are following.

E-Commerce Business Models

E-Commerce or Electronics Commerce business models can generally categorized in following categories.

E-Commerce - Disadvantages

E-Commerce disadvantages can be broadly classified in two major categories:

• Technical disadvantages
• Non-Technical disadvantages

E-Commerce Advantages

E-Commerce advantages can be broadly classified in three major categories:

• Advantages to Organizations
• Advantages to Consumers
• Advantages to Society

E-Commerce Overview

E-Commerce or Electronics Commerce is a methodology of modern business which addresses the need of business organizations, vendors and customers to reduce cost and improve the quality of goods and services while increasing the speed of delivery. E-commerce refers to paperless exchange of business information using following ways.

• Electronic Data Exchange (EDI)
• Electronic Mail (e-mail)
• Electronic Bulletin Boards
• Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT)
• Other Network-based technologies

Theories of Personality

A theory is a simple model of reality that helps us understand, explain, predict and deal with reality. We have some theories that explain an individual’s personality.

Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
This theory is based on the belief that man is encouraged more by unforeseen forces than the conscious and logical thought. Freud believed that most of the things in life are not present at the conscious level but they are present at an unconscious level.

Theories of Leadership

Behavioral Theory
This theory explains the effectiveness of leadership. According to this theory, leadership has two qualities i.e., initiating structure and consideration. These qualities are tested with higher and lower levels with proper intersection of each other.

Initiating Structure
It is the level up to which a leader is task oriented and directs the employee towards achieving a goal. In this case, the leader gives instruction, makes plan and schedules work activities.

Trait Theory
Trait theory tries to describe the types of behavior and personality tendencies associated with effective leadership. This is probably the first academic theory of leadership. Ronald Heifetz (1994) traces the trait theory approach back to the nineteenth-century tradition of associating the history of society to the history of great men.

Short Question and Answers - I

Q-1: What are the key biographical characteristics?
Answer: The key biographical characteristics are age, gender, marital status, length of service, etc.

Q-2: What is tenure?
Answer: Tenure is the length of time that an official person serves for an organization.

Q-3: What do you mean by turnover?
Answer: In a human resources context refers to the characteristic of a given company or industry, relative to rate at which an employer gains and loses staff.

Q-4: What is ability?
Answer: Ability is defined as mental and physical capabilities to perform various tasks.

Group Behaviour

In an organizational context, groupthink and group behavior are important concepts as they determine the cohesiveness and coherence of the organizational culture and organizational communication.

Types of Groups
There are two types of groups an individual forms. They are formal groups and informal groups. Let us know about these two groups.

Formal Groups
These are the type of work groups created by the organization and have designated work assignments and rooted tasks. The behavior of such groups is directed toward achieving organizational goals.

These can be further classified into two sub-groups −

• Command group − It is a group consisting of individuals who report directly to the manager.
• Interest group − It is a group formed by individuals working together to achieve a specific objective. Example − A group of workers working on a project and reporting to the same manager is considered as a command group. A group of friends chilling out together is considered as interest group or say members of a club.

Informal Groups
These groups are formed with friendships and common interests. These can be further classified into two sub-groups −

• Task group − Those working together to finish a job or task is known as task group.
• Friendship group − Those brought together because of their shared interests or common characteristics is known as friendship group.

For instance, unless the HRD function communicates the policies clearly and cogently, the employees would not participate and comply with them wholeheartedly. Hence, molding group behavior is important for organizations. However, this cannot be construed to mean that all employees must think and act alike. On the contrary, innovation cannot happen when group behavior is the same across all levels. The point here is that while organizations must strive for cohesiveness and coherence, they must not sacrifice the principles of individual creativity and brilliance that are at the heart of organizational change and innovation. In these turbulent times, there is a need for individuals to take a stand and be firm on the direction that the organization seeks to take.

Why Do People Join Groups
There is no particular reason answering why individuals join groups. Group helps individual to feel stronger, have fewer self-doubts, and be more contrary to threats.

The following points help us understand the need of joining a group by individuals −

• Security mirrors strength in numbers. Status pinpoints a prestige that comes from belonging to a specific group. Inclusion in a group is considered as important because it provides recognition and status.
• Self-esteem transmits people's feelings of self-worth. Membership can sometimes raise feelings of self-esteem like being accepted into a highly valued group.
• Affiliation with groups can meet one's social needs. Work groups significantly contribute to meet the need for friendships and social relations.
• Groups represent power. What mostly cannot be achieved individually becomes possible with group effort. Power might be aimed to protect themselves from unreasonable demands. Informal groups provide options for individuals to practice power.
• People may join a group for goal achievement. Sometimes it takes more than one person to accomplish a particular task.

Of course, group behavior needs to be inculcated in organizations for the simple reason that employees must conform to the rules and regulations that govern organizations. Hence, there is a need for uniformity and consistency in the way organizational group behavior has to be molded. Towards this end, groupthink and group behavior must be encouraged by the HRD function as a means to ensure cohesiveness in the organization.

In the technology sector, we often find employees straight out of campuses behaving as though they are still in college. While some of this freethinking and freewheeling spirit is good for innovation, the HRD function must guard against the tendency to be flippant with the organizational rules and procedures. Further, competitiveness can be encouraged but it should not come at the expense of collaboration and cooperation that are at the heart of organizational success.

Well-Functioning Groups
We know what a group is, why it is important to form a group, and what the group-oriented roles are. Now we need to know how to mark a group as a well-functioning group, what features are necessary for a group to mark it as efficient.

A group is considered effective when it has the following characteristics.

• Relaxed, comfortable, friendly atmosphere.
• Task to be executed are well understood and accepted.
• Members listen well and actively participate in given assignments.
• Assignments are made clear and are accepted.
• Group is acquainted of its operation and function.
• People express their feelings and ideas openly.
• Consensus decision-making process is followed.
• Conflict and disagreement center regarding ideas or method.

Theory X and Theory Y

In his 1960 book, The Human Side of Enterprise, Douglas McGregor proposed two theories by which to view employee motivation. He avoided descriptive labels and simply called the theories Theory X and Theory Y. Both of these theories begin with the premise that management's role is to assemble the factors of production, including people, for the economic benefit of the firm. Beyond this point, the two theories of management diverge.

Short Question and Answers

How would you define HRD?
HRD is matching the organizations needs for human resources with the individuals needs for career growth and development.

What is the scope of HRD?

1. HRD aims at anticipating the needs of the organization and meeting them in a planned way. 
2. It includes developing the capabilities of line managers to handle development, grievances, performance appraisal and punishment of their team. 
3. It emphasizes on motivating the employees and building up a good work culture.

PINA introduces ‘United We Reach’

Pakistan Institute of National Affairs (PINA) arranged a seminar at a local hotel in Lahore to highlight the efforts of United We Reach, a non-profit organization, in introducing Script Based Technology in Pakistan. It is a new model of learning based on scientific teaching methodology. United We Reach has started five pilot projects in Punjab to experiment this new method. Later this technology would be made available to the masses at large in Pakistan.
The seminar was opened by Sajjad Mir and was chaired by Sabahat Rafique, Lieutenant General Mohammad Asghar, and PINA’s Secretary General Altaf Hassan Qureshi.

Punjab Higher Education minister briefed about HEC working

Syed Raza Ali Gilani, Higher Education Minister, Punjab on Wednesday visited the Higher Education Commission Secretariat and met Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) and HEC senior management. The Minister was accompanied by Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed shared with the Minister the role and achievements of HEC since its inception in 2002. He elaborated different steps taken by HEC for a strengthened quality assurance system in higher education sector across Pakistan.

Sindh Education Minister accepts failure to stop cheating in exams

KARACHI: Education Minister, Sindh, Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar accepted on Wednesday his failure to stop cheating and copying during the matriculation examinations.

The minister was addressing a principals’ workshop in the city. He accepted his fault and said, “I take responsibility for my mistakes.”

Malala’s mother focuses on education

LONDON: The mother of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai said she hopes to devote more time to helping others get an education in her first major interview since her daughter was shot by the Taliban for defying its ban on girls’ schooling in Pakistan.

Her husband Ziauddin is seen more often accompanying the teenage activist, who became the world’s youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2014 aged 17, on trips to promote girls’ education around the world.

Formative years & education

IF education matters, it matters the most at the early stages of life. The early years of childhood education are crucial as these are considered the formative years. It is claimed that the first 1000 days of children are very important for mental growth and personality formation. The country needs to pursue more rigorously education emergency and the early childhood education program.

Afghanistan's Media Delegation visits HEC

Islamabad, April 4, 2017: A delegation of media persons and a few academics from Afghanistan, which is on a week-long visit to Pakistan, visited Higher Education Commission (HEC) Secretariat here on Tuesday.

HEC Inks Pact with Overseas Technoogy for Online Course, Certification

Islamabad, April 11, 2017: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan has signed an agreement with Overseas Technology Private Limited to acquire services of digital content, subsidized online courses and certification of high ranking renowned institutions to the recipients of Prime Minister's Laptop Scheme.

3-Days Data Science Workshop Begins at HEC

​Islamabad, April 18, 2017: Opening ceremony of 3-day Data Science Workshop was held at Higher Education Commission Secretariat here on Tuesday. The workshop will provide networking and collaborative opportunities to local community and extend a platform to share thoughts and learn from domain experts, foreign professors, researchers and industry experts from US, China, UK, New Zealand and Australia.

Quranic Education is Now Compulsory in Federal Schools & Colleges

A new bill passed by the National Assembly has made Quran education compulsory.

Titled “Compulsory Teaching of the Holy Quran Bill 2017”, it will be applicable on students from Grade 1 to Grade 12 in federal education institutes. Students in Grade 1 through 5 will be taught Naazrah Quran (recitation). Grade 6 – 12 students will be taught the Holy Quran and its translation.

Adding value to education

Our public education system is in need of dire reform, we cannot be among the developed nations without education for all, our universities need to improve, literacy and attendance are not alternatives to quality and so on and so forth. Speeches, declarations, policy statements and promises galore. We’ve heard dozens of proposals as well, on television, in classrooms, and elsewhere. But… a new subject? Sorry to break your bubble sir, but we already have up to 25 elective and 10 technical subjects for both HSC and SSC. With a burdensome load of 8 compulsory subjects for SSC and seven for HSC, why another?

Problem Recognition

Business managers need to be skilled, have expertise in problem recognition and solution techniques to be the greatest help in guiding their company towards greater success.

In problem recognition, the consumer recognizes a problem or need or want. The buyer recognizes a difference between his or her actual state and some desired state.

The need can be generated by internal stimuli when one of the person’s normal needs − hunger, thirst, sex, etc. rises to a high level sufficient to become a drive. A need can also be generated by external stimuli.

At this stage, the marketer should evaluate the consumer’s perspective by considering the basic questions like −

• What kinds of needs or problems or efforts arise.
• What brought them about and
• How it led the consumer towards the particular product.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
American Psychologist Abraham Harold Maslow believes that, needs are arranged in a hierarchy form. Only after a human has achieved the needs at a certain stage, does he move to the next one. The pyramid diagram showing the Maslow needs hierarchy.

According to Maslow's theory, when a human being goes up the levels of the hierarchy has fulfilled the needs and wants in the hierarchy, one may ultimately achieve self-actualization. Maslow in the end concluded that, self-actualization was not a regular outcome of satisfying the other human needs. Human needs as identified by Maslow are as follow −

• At the bottom of the hierarchy level are the "Basic needs or Physiological needs" of a human being − food, water, shelter, sleep, sex etc.
• The next level is "Safety Needs − Security, Order, safety and Stability". These two steps are important for the physical survival of the person.
• The third level of need is "Love and Belonging", which are psychological needs; when individuals have taken care of themselves physically, they are ready to share themselves with others, such as with family, friends and relatives.
• The fourth level is achieved when individuals feel comfortable with what they have achieved. This is the "Esteem" level, the need to be capable and recognized, such as position, status and level of success.
• The fifth level is the "Cognitive" or the "self-actualization" level, where individuals intellectually stimulate themselves and explore for their growth.

Finally, there is the "Aesthetic" level, which is the need for harmony, unity, order and beauty.

Efforts for early-year education urged

Speakers urged joint contribution educationists and parents can make, using appropriate sources of learning and development, latest research, better networking amongst peers and a will to make learning a fun activity for the thought leaders of tomorrow. During third Early Years Thought Leaders symposium at the Peshawar club, experts provided parents a chance to learn how to support the work of learning specialists.
They discussed the learning needs at the most critical period of learning and development for a child. Among the panelists were Dr. Syed Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi, Dr. Sadia Shafique, Ms. Nuzhat Rauf, Ms. Nancy Jamshed, Ms. Shamama Arbab Kakakhel and Mr. Raja Zia ul Haq.

Education is the only solution

Pakistan’s countless flesh and blood victims of the seemingly unstoppable terrorist juggernaut rarely make international headlines. Obscured by the mainstream news narrative, the image of Pakistan which emerges hardly takes into account the extent of the loss, injury, and trauma endured by people on an all too frequent basis.

From recent terrorist attacks in Lahore and Quetta to the horrific massacre of school children at Peshawar’s Army Public School in 2014 — the catalogue of atrocities has become immense.

Malala stresses to further speed up efforts to promote girls

Malala Yousafzai has stressed the need to further speed up efforts to promote girls' education in Pakistan.

She was addressing a reception hosted for her by the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Canada in Ottawa.

President stresses role of educational institutions

President Mamnoon Hussain Monday said that educational institutions and intellectuals had an important role to play in building a counter narrative against extremism and terrorism in the light of Islamic teachings. Chairing the 12th meeting of Board of Trustees (BOT) of International Islamic University (IIUI) at Faisal Mosque Campus here, the President said that IIUI was playing an important role in this regard and appreciated the institution for imparting quality religious and contemporary education.

Obsolete education system

Education in Pakistan is often being criticised as based on rote learning rather than problem solving. Education system seems to be producing students, who instead of learning focus on cramming.
Textbooks are not according to latest curriculum. This cause many difficulties to students as well as teachers also. The curriculum should be flexible and according to our requirements. That’s why we are moving backward instead of going forward.

Pakistan advised to invest in education to boost economy

LAHORE: Brian McEnery, President Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) shed lights on the future need of accountancy professionals, importance of census in an exclusive interview with The News.

Apart from heading the ACCA, Brian is also a non-executive director of Ireland’s ‘bad bank’, the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). Moreover, he also happens to be the non-executive chairman of Ireland’s health and social care regulator, the Health Information & Quality Authority (HIQA).

Educating the poor for a better Pakistan

I agree with the letter of Sundus Mujeeb published on April 8 in this newspaper, Educate children, educate the nation. Education is indeed the basic right of each and every individual but has been denied to underprivileged children in the country, although our Constitution states otherwise.

Article 25-A of the Constitution guarantees free education for all children aged between 5 and 16. But the state of Pakistan has failed miserably in mandating it and only caters to private education sectors, which have grown but are beyond the reach of the economically disadvantaged.

Students urged to take maximum benefit of educational facilities

Provincial Minister for Higher Education Syed Raza Ali Gillani has said that girls have been provided equal opportunities of studies in higher education institutions; adding that they should take maximum benefit of these opportunities, so that the potential of half of the population could be fully exploited for the collective wellbeing of the society.
He said this, while addressing the second convocation of four year program of Bachelor of Science (BS) of 2011-2015 session of the Government Postgraduate Islamia College for Women, Cooper Road, Lahore on Saturday.

UAE opens two schools in Pakistan

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) humanitarian aid authority Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has opened two schools in Pakistan as part of #Year of Giving initiatives to support the education sector and strengthen its capabilities in areas that have been hit by natural disasters in recent years.

This comes as part of the efforts of the UAE, under the leadership of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,

FJWU holds 16th convocation

The 16th Convocation of the Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) held at the Jinnah Convention Centre Tuesday to commemorate the academic accomplishments of its students and outstanding achievements in their academic career.

Chief guest Minister for Higher Education Punjab and Pro Chancellor Syed Raza Ali Gillani conferred degrees on the graduating students at bachelors, masters, MPhil and PhD level.

AIOU to set up Urdu Learning cenre in China

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is going to set up Urdu learning centre in China. This was agreed upon during a visit of the five-member academic delegation of Yunnan Open University of China (YOUC) led by Vice President Prof Luo JI on Tuesday to the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU). The delegation held a meeting with the AIOU team of scholars and intellectuals led by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui.
Both the sides agreed to set a future road-map to develop bilateral cooperation in order to give educational response to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEE).

Hi-Tech Virtual University Campus Set up in Dera Bugti

A Hi-tech campus of Virtual University (VU) has been set up in the remote area of Sui, in Dera Bugti (Baluchistan) at a cost of Rs 20 million through sole funding of Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL).

PPL will also bear the operational cost of the VU campus in the future.

Out of School Children in Pakistan Decreased by 26%

Over the past three years the percentage of out of school children has declined by 26% coupled with an increase in primary net enrollment by 17%.

The direction has been set but there is still a long way to go. Access to education, recruitment of teachers and availability of facilities in schools is the priority of the government.

UN Secretary-General to Designate Malala Yousafzai

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will designate Malala Yousafzai, global advocate for girls’ education and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate, as a United Nations Messenger of Peace with a special focus on girls’ education.

The Messenger of Peace designation ceremony will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York at an event to be held in the Trusteeship Council Chamber on Monday, 10 April 2017, at 3:15 p.m.

Punjab Govt Has Announced Timings for Summer Vacations 2017

Through a public notification, the schedule for summer vacations has been announced by the Punjab government’s education department.

It has been revealed that vacations will begin from 1st June this year. School timings have also been changed for the remaining days until the vacations.

Pakistani Grads to Avail Subsidized Online Courses

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan has signed an agreement with Overseas Technology Private Limited to acquire services of digital content, subsidized online courses and certification of high ranking renowned institutions to the recipients of Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme.

Leila Khan, Chairperson, Prime Minister Youth Programme was the chief guest. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, Dr. Arshad Ali, Executive Director HEC, and other senior officers of the two sides were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Leila Khan appreciated the managements of both HEC and Overseas Technology Pvt. Ltd. for taking measures to provide students with opportunity to secure internationally acclaimed specialization in diversified disciplines leading towards certifications through an online platform.

She said the courses will enhance learning capabilities of students in their professional career. She urged HEC and Overseas Technology to facilitate students at the time of registration in this programme and throughout their courses.

Welcoming Ms. Leila Khan to HEC, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said the Government is paying due attention for promotion of higher education in the country. He said HEC is effectively implementing Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme and Prime Minister’s Fee Reimbursement Scheme the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme. He maintained that laptop assembly plant has now been set up in Pakistan making the execution of PM’s Laptop Scheme easier.

The Chairman said over Rs. 6.5 billion has so far been reimbursed to students from less developed areas of Pakistan under the Fee Reimbursement Scheme, adding that HEC has also set up Education Testing Council to ensure free of cost entry tests for admission to universities.

Referring to Smart University concept, he underlined that HEC has so far enabled 15 universities with Wifi-enabled campuses linked with Safe Campus Project to not only facilitate students but also ensure their security. ‘HEC intends to rollout this concept at all public sector universities by 2018,” he added.

Earlier, briefing the Chairperson PMYP about significance of the agreement, Dr. Arshad Ali said that HEC is determined to improve effective utilization of modern technology, adding that improvement in the quality of education and access to education cannot be achieved without use of technology. He said the agreement is a step forward towards creating a learning environment for students.

The agreement will provide students with an opportunity to secure certifications from renowned institutions and will enhance their skills. A verified certificate from authentic online platform can serve as a proof for an employer that someone is abreast with cutting-edge tools and skills needed for a competitive career internationally.

MS and PhD level laptop recipients can sign up and enroll in 70 specialization and associated courses, initially offered under the programme. They can earn a completion certificate upon successful completion of their specific course.

Faisalabad to Get a Metro Bus & an IT University

The Chief Minister of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif, has launched several development projects, an IT University and a Metro Bus route in Faisalabad. These are part of a wider development project in the province.

While making a speech at the workers’ convention at Iqbal Auditorium of University of Agriculture in Faisalabad (UAF), he also stated that work would begin on these projects this year.

Govt Allocates Over Rs. 2.28 Billion for Foreign Language Program

Higher Education Minister for Punjab, Syed Raza Ali Gillani has said that Rs. 2.28 billion has been allocated for the foreign languages program.

About 500 students will be sent abroad for learning different languages including Chinese and Turkish under this program, according to the minister.

Market Positioning

Market Positioning means selecting a marketing mix that is most suitable for a target market segment. The following illustration shows a product positioning map. A well-positioned company will beat the competition that has a comparable offering. The company that clearly articulates what it does, why it's relevant and how it's different helps customers make better and faster buying decisions. Why are we suggesting you get our help? When we place a Chief Outsider with your company, or consult with you on a strategic direction, you get access to the human capital of our entire executive marketing team.

Market Segmentation

Market segmentation depends on two levels − the strategic level and the tactical level. At a strategic level, it has a direct link with the decisions on positioning. At a tactical level, it relates with the decision of which consumer groups are to be targeted. We will discuss here the parameters based on which a market can be segmented. Market segmentation is the identification of portions of the market that are different from one another. Segmentation allows the firm to better satisfy the needs of its potential customers.

Marketing Strategies

Consumer behaviour is the study of the way people seek, purchase, use, evaluate and dispose of products and services. It is the phycology of marketing, and it is used to determine why consumers seek one product alternative from the other.
But why do consumers seek and purchase products? This is linked to the ideology of needs and wants. Needs and wants exist if a consumer is unsatisfied, consumers seek and purchase the products that can provide them with maximum satisfaction.

Developing Marketing Concepts

There are 5 different concepts of marketing, each of which vary in the function that they deal with. For example – production concept deals with production and selling concept deals with selling. Each of the concept was developed as per the need of the market. As the market changed, so did the concepts of marketing. And today, we have an opportunity to look at all 5 concepts of marketing and what they represent.

Buying Decision Process

The marketer is responsible for selling the goods in the market so he must have the knowledge how the consumers actually make their buying decisions. For this he must study the consumer buying decision process or model. It involves five stages:

Demand Analysis

The Demand Curve
The quantity of a particular good or service that a consumer or group of consumers want to purchase at a given price is termed as demand. It is the consumer’s ability or willingness to buy a specific product.

Consumer Behavior - Significance

Consumer behavior covers a broad variety of consumers based on diversity in age, sex, culture, taste, preference, educational level, income level, etc. Consumer behavior can be defined as “the decision process and physical activity engaged in evaluating, acquiring, using or disposing of goods and services.”

With all of the diversity to the surplus of goods and services offered to us, and the freedom of choices, one may speculate how individual marketers actually reach us with their highly definite marketing messages. Understanding consumer behavior helps in identifying whom to target, how to target, when to reach them, and what message is to be given to them to reach the target audience to buy the product.

Consumer Behavior - Consumerism

Consumerism is the organized form of efforts from different individuals, groups, governments and various related organizations which helps to protect the consumer from unfair practices and to safeguard their rights.

The growth of consumerism has led to many organizations improving their services to the customer.

SBP offering merit based scholarships for students

State Bank of Pakistan Banking Services Corporation (SBPBSC) is inviting the application from the brilliant children of its serving, retired, deceased employees (OG-2 and below) to continue their studies at intermediate, graduate and post graduate level.

The merit based scholarships for the academic session 2016-17 are now available and the bank in inviting applications from the children of above mentioned employees.

UIT Becomes Solar-Powered Engineering University

Usman Institute of Technology (UIT), an engineering university based in Karachi, has started generating electricity from solar energy to meet the growing energy requirements of the campus with the long-term available solution.

The UIT installed 198 solar panels of 320 Watts each in January 2017 as part of its energy conservation drive that started in August 2016.

KPK to Allocate Rs. 139 Billion for Education in Upcoming Budget

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has set a high bar for other provinces by taking its upcoming fiscal year (2017-18) education budget to Rs. 139 billion from what it was a mere Rs. 61 billion four years ago.

“This reflects an increase of 128% since the time Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) assumed government in 2013,” announced KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Wednesday in Islamabad.

High fee, low education

The future of any country rests on the shoulders of education system. It is sadly said that Pakistan’s educational system is plagued with disparity at every level. Only a section of population can afford private schooling which has become the synonymous with the term ‘Quality Education’. Others can only dream of. Under the guise of quality education, private institutions have introduced crushingly high fee structure with yearly increment. Private institutions are taking massive amounts of money from parents, instead of working on quality education they are engaged in opening new branches in other areas. I want to request the management of private institutions to have mercy on the poor parents.

PHEC chief calls for focus on teachers' training

LAHORE: Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Prof Dr Nizamuddin has said that there is a dire need of teachers’ training to produce quality students for development of the country.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the newly constructed building with the funding by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at the Punjab University (PU) Faculty of Education, the chairman said that the PHEC had launched a comprehensive programme for training of teachers and the Faculty Development Academy had been established for equipping teachers with modern teaching skills.

FBISE to ensure revised computer textbook for class IX

Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Engineer Muhammad Baligh ur Rehman on Tuesday instructed Chairman Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) to ensure that revised Computer Science textbook for class IX is made available in the market by next week.

While chairing eight meeting on National Curriculum Review, the State Minister further instructed FBISE to conduct curriculum comparison exercise for class IX to XII curriculum with that of Cambridge University Press and submit their findings and recommendations on priority basis.

Swati girl beats the odds to become IT Expert

MINGORA: Orphaned at the age of one year and looked after by her mother, a domestic worker, 17-year-old Tahira Mohammad has become the first female IT expert in Swat.

She wants to become a software engineer and leads her own firm, however, financial hurdles have made realisation of her dream difficult.

Evolve 20-year education policy: experts

LAHORE: Pakistan needs an awareness campaign for students and graduates for the promotion and importance of vocational training and technical education and a comprehensive policy should be evolved for 20 years.

These views were expressed by experts in the Jang Economic Session on 'how public private partnership is possible for technical education and vocational training' here.