Deprived colleges get regular budget

Islamabad:For the first time, the Islamabad Model College for Boys (IMCB) Sihala and Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG) Bhara Kahu received regular budget for the fiscal year 2020-21.

After creation of posts of teaching and non-teaching staff in May 2019, the budget IDs of both the colleges were created by Finance Division with a token amount of Rs2,000 in November 2019.

The colleges have been allocated Rs. 32,870,000 each for the fiscal year 2020-21. They had been functioning without budget and regular staff since long. The IMCB Sihala had been functioning since 2009 without regular budget. Similarly, the IMCG Bhara Kahu was running without budget and regular staff since 2016.

An official at Federal Directorate of Education said the creation of posts, creation of budget IDs and getting regular budget for the colleges was a herculean task and Professor Muhammad Naeem Dar Principal IMCB Sihala played a pivotal role in this respect.

IIU wins COVID-19 research project: Dr. Erum Jamil, Incharge Department of Electrical Engineering (Female Section) from the platform of the Centre for Advanced Electronics & Photovoltaic Engineering (CAEPE), International Islamic University has been awarded with a Triple Helix project worth Rs 16.9 million from Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF). This project is among the four projects funded under the provision of Special COVID-19 R&D grants out of hundreds of nationwide proposals received.

Dr. Erum, in collaboration with a leading IT solution provider and CAEPE, will provide an emergent solution to the government of Pakistan for Informed Decision Making in Covid-19 and future pandemic scenarios using multi-technology platform of Artificial intelligence, Sensing Devices and Data Mining etc. Keeping the ongoing emergency in view, the project will be rapid in nature to provide deliverable to the government of Pakistan in a year’s time. The project, which has already started with the first instalment paid to the university, is housed at the Centre for Advanced Electronics & Photovoltaic Engineering.

Dr. Erum appreciated Rector IIUI Dr. Masoom Yasinzi, President Dr. Aqdas Naveed Malik and Prof. Dr. Ahmed Shuja Syed, (Founding Executive Director, CAEPE) for thorough guidance and support throughout the process.

The IIU rector and president have congratulated Dr. Erum Jamil and CAEPE Team on winning this very important project after a severe competition, and termed this endeavour a great achievement for the university creating a viable opportunity to meaningfully work for emergent national needs.