ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training on Monday approved a bill regarding revival of students union in Islamabad-based educational institutions.

The Senate committee met here at parliament house Senator Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui in the chair. It unanimously passed the Private Members’ Bill titled “The Islamabad Capital Territory Student Unions Bill, 2023,” introduced by Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi.

The committee chairman said that instead of grouping based on ethnicity, provinces, or other considerations, healthy activities must be encouraged in the educational institutions for which the student union is a good platform.

Meanwhile, the committee also discussed the issues of teachers serving under tenure track system, basic pay scale system and service structure of technologists.

While discussing the disposal of public petition regarding the placement of PhDs, the committee members engaged in a comprehensive discussion about the interim placement of fresh Phds (IPFP) agreement and laws conflicting with the proceedings and disengagement of PhD scholars from the University of Swabi.

Committee members expressed concerns over the exclusion of employees who have served for five years without any replacement. A volunteer from one of the universities concernedalso pleaded his case, stating that in the situation, all the PhD scholars recruited under IPFP Programme were terminated following a court proceeding.

The chairman of the committee directed Chairman of the Higher Education Commission to come up with a viable solution in consultation with all stakeholders and report the solution to the committee for next meeting.

Additionally, the committee expressed concerns over the delay in the Private Members Bill and the Protection of Family Life and Wedlock Bill 2023. The committee highlighted the issue that, despite being passed by both the houses and approved, the Protection of Family Life and Wedlock Bill is not traceable and is misplaced. The committee unanimously decided to report the case to the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs as per the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training presented its progress on the compliance report by the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission and Pakistani chairs abroad, emphasizing their active engagement with the matter. The Committee Chairman directed keeping regular reporting on the progress of Pakistani chairs abroad to the committee.

Similarly, education ministry officials informed the committee members about daily wage teachers stating that it has regularised the services of 137 teachers in Federal Directorate of Education, as notified by the ex-Capital Administration and Development Division, while 71 notifications are under process.

The committee also highlighted the non-payment of salaries to the reinstated teachers and directed that the ministry may come up with a detailed report regarding payments of salaries to the reinstated teachers.

Senator Prof Dr Mehr Taj Roghani expressed concerns over the absence of a service structure for technologists and requested a prompt solution. The Higher Education Commission chairman applauded the role of Senator Ruksana Zuberi and Chairman Engineering Council and stated that the Pakistan Engineering Council has agreed in principle to have no objection over awarding equal status to the technologists as per the Sydney Accord.

Regarding the re-examination of the law students of Bahauddin Zakariya University, the Vice Chancellor of the university said that they have conducted a re-examination of all students from 2015 to 2017, while the case of students from 2018 to 2021 is subjudice in the Supreme Court, which will also be re-examined. Meanwhile, the committee also directed the HEC to take legal action against all unlawful institutes/universities operating across the country.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2023