Government College Univerity .....

[Aarwaa]

GCU expels 200 students


Wednesday, October 29, 2008

By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

A large number of students of the Government College University (GCU), Lahore on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration against the varsity administration for striking off around 200 students on the charges of “short attendance”.

The protest demonstration which lasted for more than two hours caused great disruption on Katchery Road and various adjacent roads of the GCU, including The Mall.

The students started gathering inside the university soon after the GCU administration pasted lists of the struck-off students of the Intermediate and BA/BSc (Hons) classes. They expressed strong resentment over the university decision and went outside the campus to protest against the administration. They also chanted slogans against the GCU vice chancellor and registrar.

Interestingly, the university administration removed the lists of “struck-off students” from the notice board as soon as the electronic media reached the varsity campus.

A number of BA/BSc (Hons) students who were issued notices by the disciplinary committee of the GCU for staging a protest demonstration against “wrong results” last month, also joined the protesters and chanted slogans against the administration. One of such protesters, Maher Muhammad Akmal was picked by police from inside the university campus. It was alleged that the university registrar had got registered an FIR against Akmal.

The protesting students, who were in the GCU uniform, said the varsity administration kept striking off students and then re-admitting them after charging over Rs1000 per head as re-admission fee. They alleged the university administration did not accept even genuine reasons and using this rule of two or more leaves to mint money.

According to the GCU rules, “The name of a student will be dropped from the University Rolls, if he/she remains absent in a subject for 3 days or more in a month, continuously or otherwise. The readmission fee will be Rs 1,000.”

However, when contacted GCU registrar Sahibzada Faisal Khurshid said striking off students for being absent for more than two days without any notice was a routine matter, adding a list of such students was pasted every month. He said parents of the struck-off students were called and they had to give undertaking, adding after a fine of Rs 1000 such students were readmitted.

The registrar claimed that some outside elements wanted to disturb peaceful academic environment of the university by instigating innocent students to protest.

Replying to a question, Sahibzada Faisal Khurshid said he himself had got Maher Muhammad Akmal released from the police custody, adding the GCU administration had not got registered any FIR against any student. He said the total number of the struck off student was around 150 adding this time the university administration had given relaxation to all those who were struck off.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=143758

[Aarwaa]

GCU students face action over ‘indiscipline’


Tuesday, October 28, 2008

By By Khalid Khattak
LAHORE

THE administration of Government College University (GCU) is allegedly victimising students by initiating disciplinary action against those involved in protests against varsity’s BA/ BSc (Honours) Semester I and II results.

Those who have been issued notices are charged for “gross violation of GCU discipline”. The university administration has also allegedly forced a student to get himself migrated following he was called to explain his presence in protest against the varsity.

Last month, a number of students from BA/BSc (Hons) Semester I and II had protested against the results in which majority of the students were declared as “fail”. It is pertinent to mention here that following students’ protests the GCU administration had revised the results and issued corrigenda of Semester-II as well as Semester-I results declaring most of the students pass.

The corrigendum replaced result term: “Dropped from the University Rolls” to “First Probation’ and “Last Probation”. A large number of affected students were also shown “Pass”. Still, the students claim, the GPA shown in the original notification remained the same.

The disciplinary committee notices issued to parents of some of the students say that they along with their ward should appear before the disciplinary committee and in case they failed to show up at the meeting, the committee would take unilateral action against the student.

Most of the affected students whom The News contacted on the condition of anonymity alleged the university administration had completely suppressed students as well as teachers, and no one dared to speak even for his/ her right.

They also maintained that they had protested for their right alleging the proceedings against them were tantamount to their victimisation.

They believe that protests were part of democratic culture adding students should not be victimised if they protest against the university administration for their rights.One of the aggrieved students Maher Muhammad Akmal, who took part in protests against “wrong results” has also been served with notices to appear before disciplinary committee.

When contacted, Akmal told The News that he did not appear before the committee fearing that the university administration would further victimise him for sure as it did with another student, who had accompanied them (protesters) when they initially went to the VC office to register their protest against the results.

Reportedly, the said student was rusticated and then allegedly forced to get migration certificate. Akmal said that he did not appear before the disciplinary committee fearing that the GCU administration would also compel him to submit an apology and then make it a base for rustication or compel him to get himself migrated from the university.

He said the GCU’s examination system was highly non-transparent as it did not inform students about detailed marks of all subjects and simply “reveal” the GPA. He alleged the university victimised students, while giving lesser GPA adding they had no option to check whether the GPA was genuine or not.

Akmal further said he had submitted a complaint in office of the Chief Secretary Punjab (Tracking No 3421) on Oct 1 and the time limit mentioned in reply to his complaint was Oct 26 adding however no relief had been provided so far.

He said he had also complained to the HEC but to no avail. The reply which Akmal received from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) reads “Thank you for your Email dated October 13,2008 addressed to Prof Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, Chairman, Higher Education Commission it is informed that he has resigned from Chairmanship of Higher Education Commission and new Chairman has not yet joined. This is for your information please.”

Akmal and other affected students have appealed to the Punjab Governor and Chief Minister to intervene and take notice of alleged victimisation and harassment of students by the GCU administration.

When contacted GCU vice chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Aftab denied any comment over the issue and asked this correspondent to contact varsity registrar.

However when contacted GCU registrar Sahabzada Faisal Khurshid said “I do not know about issuance of notices to students” saying varsity’s disciplinary committee dealt with such issues independently. He asked this correspondent to contact convener of the committee Dr Sharif Mughal who was not available for comments.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=143596

[Aarwaa]

Students protest against GCU admin
OCTOBER 29,2008
Block roads | Demand varsity admin to stop exploitation of students

Staff Reporter

LAHORE: As many as 400 students of Government College University staged a protest against the varsity's policies and press for their demands.

Hundreds of students of Intermediate science and arts whose names were struck off by the university took out a rally against the GCU administration especially register and staged protest at Nasir Bagh. They also blocked adjacent roads areas for several hours. BA/BSc honour students also participated in the protest against the registrar who is allegedly forcing them to mange migration or face the music. They demanded of the authorities to stop exploitation of the students. A student, talking to The Post, said that there was no justification for the university administration to charge Rs 1,000 as fine from students for readmission. Another student said, "We are not going to compromise with the administration on principles and will not pay fine.

Registrar calls protesters ‘rotten eggs‘

Staff Reporter

LAHORE: Talking to The Post, Government College University Registrar Sahibzada Faisal Khursheed said some rotten eggs and mischievous people were hampering the education activities in the prestigious institution. Without mentioning the names of the students who are already facing disciplinary committee proceeding, he said some elements were holding protest to save their skin. He added shortage of attendance was not a serious problem, adding it was the tradition of the GCU to display a list containing the names of absentees. The real concern was decline of the university, he lamented.

To a query about striking off of the names of a large number of students from FA/FSc, he said, "We are following the BISE Lahore instructions to ensure 75 per cent attendance."

Varsity gives students concession

Staff Reporter

LAHORE: Government College University issued a statement that taking a parental view in the cases of the students whose names have been struck off because of absence of three or more days in September 2008, the university has decided to give them a special concession for this month only.

However, in such cases the attendance regulations of the university shall remain operative in future.

http://www.thepost.com.pk/ShortNewsT...d=6982&catid=3

[Aarwaa]

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Shawwal 29, 1429

Several held for lodging protest: 200 GCU students struck off for short attendance

By Mansoor Malik and Faisal Ali

LAHORE, Oct 28: The Government College University (GCU) on Tuesday struck off around 200 first-year students for ‘short attendance’. In protest, students blocked the road in front of university’s main gate for about an hour.

In a late night development, New Anarkali police registered a case against 200 GCU protesters, including nine nominated, under sections 147, 148, 431 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 7ATA and 16 MPO on the complaint of registrar Faisal Khursheed.

The nominated students were identified as Muhammad Akmal, Usman, Anser, Nazim Hussian, Amjad Ali, Ashfaq, Jameel, Hassan, Ahsan.

Police raided several houses and university hostels and arrested some of the wanted students. City Division SP (investigation) Pervaiz Qandhari confirmed three arrests.

Worried parents and other family members of the arrested students were present at the police station till the filing of the report at 1.15am on Wednesday.

Earlier, the protesters raised slogans against the vice-chancellor and registrar for striking off their names. They claimed the university administration was in the habit of striking off students’ names for two or three leaves and then readmitting them after charging Rs1,000 or more per head as readmission fee. They said the university administration did not accept even genuine reasons and used the ‘strike off tactic to mint money’.

It is learnt the university administration removed the lists of ‘struck off’ students from the notice board as soon as the electronic media reached the campus. By that time students in uniforms had started their protest inside the university. Later, they came out on the road in front of university’s main gate. As students came on the road, traffic was disrupted on various roads, including The Mall.

The protesters told media that the university had struck off about 400 students altogether from first year, second year and BS (Honours) third semester. They claimed that teachers took students’ attendance on lose papers and put it on registers later. In such a situation, they said, there were chances that students’ complete attendance was not put on registers.

“I missed some Pakistan Studies classes but the struck-off list shows that I missed physics classes and attended the Pakistan Studies classes,” a student told reporters.

The protesters said the first readmission fee was Rs1,000, but the second readmission fee was Rs8,000. Some second year students said they had been struck off for the second time.

The students demanded that the university stop pressing them in an attempt to implement its ‘strict’ rules and regulations. They asked the university administration to restore their names.

Some students said the university proctor had confiscated their ID cards and now they could be issued notices by the disciplinary committee.

Later, the registrar heard grievances of students who were protesting outside the university. He asked them to end protest and remain inside the campus.

It is learnt that the Ravians, who were issued notices by the disciplinary committee for staging a protest demonstration against ‘incorrect results’ also joined the protest. One such protester, Mahr Muhammad Akmal, was picked by police from amongst the protesters. However, he was released on the intervention of the registrar.

The registrar told reporters that about 150 students had been struck off from the university rolls for being absent for more than two days without any notice. “It is a routine matter. A list of such students is put on display by the university every month,” he said.

The registrar said some ‘outsiders’ wanted to disturb the peaceful academic environment of the university by instigating the students.

A news release issued by the registrar says: “Taking a parental view of the cases of the students whose names have been struck off because of absence for three or more days in Sept, the university has decided to give them a special concession for this month only”.

However, the registrar said, the attendance regulations of the university would remain operative in the future.


http://www.dawn.com/2008/10/29/nat10.htm