Last year a committee was constituted to discuss if the entry test should continue or the universities should rely solely on board examinations. A decision is awaited. This year over 47,559 candidates, including 31,149 girls and 16,410 boys, appeared in the entry test of medical and dental colleges in 13 cities across Punjab. The entry test for admission to engineering institutions for BSc Engineering and BS Technology was held at 12 examination centres with over 44,000 candidates appeared in the test for about 2,200 seats at UET and affiliated institutions. Other provinces are also engaged in conducting entrance tests. On the other hand, some students who were sent abroad by Punjab chief minister as a reward of their positions in matriculations, intermediate and other examinations were reportedly unable to pass the entrance exams. This is indeed a big question mark on the whole education system. A panel discussion on a private television channel discussed why the entry test is necessary in judging a student for higher education. The question was raised, if a 3-hour entry test was the right criteria to judge 12-year education of a student. Rana Mashhood said the entry test system was introduced in 1998 to counter the ‘cheating mafia’ and to match the standards of international universities. The minister said the government was under pressure from international institutions about the validity of the degrees awarded by Pakistani universities and therefore, it was important to introduce the entry system to fight the rote learning and cheating mafias. In order to get the students rid of entrance exams, it is need of the hour to standardize our board exams and make them cheating-free as well as equalize their standard.

Aitchison College principal?
In a new dramatic development on the issue of sacking and rejoining of Principal Dr Agha Ghazanfar, now Headmaster Ameer Hussain has been legally asked to prove his appointment as principal by one of the board members. Supreme Court lawyer Mustafa Ramday, who is also member of the college’s Board of Governors, has served a legal notice asking about an application filed in LHC against the stay order. Dr Ghazanfar had challenged the BoGs decision of his unceremonious removal from the principal’s office, and had obtained a stay order against his ouster. However, the headmaster barred his entry to the college some two weeks ago.
An un-named applicant recently challenged the LHC stay order and filed a civil miscellaneous application, through M/s Tariq Rahim & Associates. The application was signed by a single applicant although underneath it mentions ‘Respondents/Applicants’ on behalf of all board of governors. This shows a clear divide in the BoG and that the decision of sacking Principal Agha Ghazanfar was taken in a haste bring serious damages to the repute of one of the best college of the country.