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PR.No.9. Federal Minister for Education, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, left for Germany to attend the International Conference on Education, “ASEM” “ASEM” Conference on education is meant for seeking new avenues of wider and viable educational cooperation between Asian and European countries. The Conference is being attended by the educational Ministers’ of different countries. Ahsan Iqbal will also visit different educational institutes of Germany and will study the German education system. Pak-German co-operation in the field of Technical Education will also be discussed. The sources in the Ministry of Education hinted at establishment of a new industrial Bio-technology institute in Pakistan by the German Government. MMAR/AR.
PR.No. 10. Islamabad May 02, 2008. Federal Minister for Education, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, has stressed the need for a Collaborated Educational Programme with UNESCO and Government of Pakistan. “UNESCO’s educational programmes be studied in detail and benefited the Minister directed to the Officials of PNCU. Federal Minister for Education, Ahsan Iqbal, was attending a briefing session given by Pakistan National Commission for UNESCO (PNCU) here in Islamabad. Minister for Education directed the PNCU to pile up the facts and figures from the UNESCO’s vast resources and present it to the Ministry of Education in a gist form highlighting the actionable items. The Minister also directed PNCU to submit a workable plan on Universal Primary Education in a week. Speaking regarding the Seminars and Conferences he said that most of the time the seminars and conferences produced nothing and the outcome is merely wastage of resources and time. Therefore PNCU should avail the available funds in the form of initiation of new educational projects especially in the rural are as of Pakistan. Mr. Ahsan Iqbal said that implementation of the policies is of far importance. He asked the PNCU officials to translate all actionable projects of UNESCO so that the same could be implemented in our country. The Minister specially advised to take affective help from UNESCO’s educational projects in achieving Universal Primary Education in Pakistan. Mr. Ahsan Iqbal also wanted to have collaborated work with UNESCO’s international institute of education planning. The Minister said that our planning institute under Ministry of Education should work in collaboration with the said institute of UNESCO. The Minister also directed to streamline the UNESCO’s University Chair Programme as it was observed that the same was not being implemented in letter and spirit. Earlier the Minister was given a detailed briefing regarding the status and working of PNCU. The Director General of PNCU Saqib Aleem gave the briefing. The Minister was told that UNESCO with its Head Office in Paris is represented by 193 Member States and is governed by a 58 Members Executive Board. The Agency has a number of Committees on education, culture, etc. MMAR/AR.
PR.No. 11.
NAVTEC LAUNCHED SHORT
TERM SKILL DEVELOPMENT (IN TECHNICAL TRADES AND DOMESTIC SERVICES) IN
PUNJAB AND UMBRELLA SKILLED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN DIFFERENT
PROVINCES/REGIONS OF PAKISTAN To motivate and provide incentives to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions to focus on providing quality training. National Vocational & Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC) would launch Short Term Skill Development Programme (in technical trades and domestic services) in Punjab and Umbrella Skilled Development Programme in different provinces/regions of Pakistan. The approved cost of 02 projects is Rs.480.104 million and Rs.99.671 million respectively. The execution period of the schemes is 12 months. The schemes have been recently approved by Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in its meeting held on 30.4.2008 according to all codal formalities and guide lines. In Punjab, 26 trades of 3 months duration of courses in 55 training places/centers will be covered and a total number of 37.592 persons will be trained. Similarly, in Umbrella programme, 56 trades of 2.6 months duration of courses in 22 places/centers will be covered and a total number of 7,458 persons will be trained. Range of the courses includes Light Engineering, Hospitality, Construction, Skills for women, Information Technology and Services Sector. The courses are offered free of charge and the selected candidates will be paid a stipend of Rs.2000/- per month during the course. The schemes are aimed at equipping unemployed youth with modern technical skills, upgrading their skills for better jobs to raise their income and ultimately alleviate poverty. National Vocational & Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC) supports Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions (TVET) that are running courses relevant to market needs. NAVTEC also supports TVET institutions to create additional capacity to train unemployed educated youth in the sectors facing skills shortage as envisioned by the President and under Prime Minister’s special initiative for skills development. Schedule for training courses will be announced by concerned training providers/training institutes in National/regional media later on. Special emphasis has been given to t raining of women and disadvantaged section of society and backward areas of AJK, FANA, FATA and other four provinces. MMAR/AR.
PR.No. 12. New Delhi: May 2, 2008 The Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ms. Shery Rehman has said Pakistan was committed for taking forward the ongoing dialogue process with India as peace is pre-requisite for sustainable development and stability in the region. Talking to reporters in New Delhi on Friday after attending the last rituals of the prominent peace campaigner Nirmala Deshpande, who passed away yesterday, Shery Rehman said deshpande’s demise is a great loss not only for India but also for Pakistan as she played a crucial role in consolidating and promoting dialogue process between the two neighboring countries. Responding to a question, She said late Deshpande, popularly known as DEEDI (elder sister) had greatly contributed with the help of MPs from Pakistan towards establishment of Pak-India Parliamentary Forum, the first in the region to make the peace process sustainable and irreversible. The Minister remarked such persons on either side of the two countries never die and Deshpande’s life long noble struggle for love, affection and peace among various cultures, faiths and specially across the border would always remind the generations of her valuable and selfless accomplishments. The Minister said the death of Deshpande has created a huge gap, almost difficult to be filled in the years to come. She, however, expressed the resolve that government and Parliamentarians of Pakistan would encourage social and peace activists on both sides to continue carrying forward this noble mission to facilitate and promote people to people contact between the two South Asian nations. Referring to their visit, the Minister said that she has come to Delhi as special envoy of the Prime Minister and the people of Pakistan to participate in the last rituals of this old parliamentarian and illustrious Gandhian and also pay homage to her struggle for peace and friendship between the two people. The Minister on this occasion also met with several Indian leaders, MPs including Congress Secretary General, Rahul Ghandi and conveyed condolence on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan on the demise of the peace activist. Rahul Gandhi specially thanked government of Pakistan for sending a high level delegation to share the grief. The Minister Sherry Rehman arrived New Delhi in the wee hours of Friday by a special plane along with Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas and a prominent PPP leader and former member of National Assembly Mr. Manzoor Ahmad Chaudhry. The delegation was received by the High Commissioner for Pakistan Mr. Shahid Malik and senior officials of the High Commission at the IGI Airport, New Delhi. Later, the delegation left for Islamabad by special plane Friday evening. RA/nr
PR.
No. 13. On the eve of world Press Freedom Day the Government reiterates its resolve that every possible effort would be made to ensure freedom of press and free flow of information. The PPP led government is truly democratic and believes in complete freedom of expression. We, as a responsible government, fully recognise the importance of free press and the role it plays in the strengthening of democracy. The Prime Minister, in his very first speech to the parliament, declared the freedom of press as one of the top priorities of the new government. The commitment of the present government towards free media is manifested by the fact that the first legislation made by this government was the repealing of derogatory PEMRA laws. Unfortunately over the past few years efforts were made by the previous government to gag the media and as a result Pakistan was declared to be one of the dangerous countries for journalists in the world. The present government has put an end to such practices and is committed to create an enabling atmosphere for freedom of speech and expression. However it is to be remembered that with greater freedom comes greater responsibility and I am sure that a balance will be maintained between press freedom and responsible reporting. This realization of responsibility should be self initiated as the government believes in non-interference. EW/wh
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