Day: October 6, 2021

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Govt Launches STEM Program for Matric and Inter Students

President Arif Alvi has launched the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Program for matriculation and intermediate students.

The STEM Program has been developed by the Ministry of Science and Technology and its development started last year on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

According to details, the STEM Program has been introduced initially in 50 public schools and colleges in which students of classes 9 to 12 will be enrolled based on their talent and ability. The initiative will be expanded to other public schools and colleges in the rest of the country in the next phase.

There are three components of the STEM Program; laboratories, teachers’ training, and STEM modules.

Under the first component, special laboratories would be built to facilitate the students enrolled in the STEM Program. Teachers would be given training to effectively impart education to the students enrolled in the program under the second component. In the third component, universities will choose schools and colleges purely on a merit basis to improve the quality of education of STEM subjects.

Addressing the launch event, President Arif Alvi said that STEM subjects have acquired a “special importance” in the world, adding that the launch of the STEM Program has kicked off a new era of progress and it will enable Pakistani students to compete globally.

Ministry of Science and Technology, Shibli Faraz, termed the initiative as a “game-changer” for the education sector of the country, adding that Pakistan will not progress until public schools and colleges are modernized on international standards.

Source: Pro Pakistani

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IBA Reinstates the Student Who Was Expelled for Exposing a Harassment Case

The Institute of Business Administration Karachi has reinstated, Mohammad Gibrail, a student of the BS Economics program on Tuesday who was expelled for exposing an alleged harassment case.

“The credit goes to students who were firm and stood against the decision,” said Gibrail’s lawyer and social activist Jibran Nasir, adding that “Gibrail is an inspiration to many now”.

According to the IBA Executive Director, Dr. Syed Akbar Zaidi, reforms will be introduced to make the institution safer.

Dr. Syed was hearing an appeal against the disciplinary committee’s decision during which he said that the student councils will be restored to give students representation in different committees and ensure transparency in these cases.

The admission of Mohammad Gibrail has been restored unconditionally.

“We need to ensure transparent discussions on such issues instead of universities trying to brush off incidents,” said Jibran Nasir.

Besides, Jibran Nasir highlighted the importance of student bodies in the university and said that in order to empower youth, “we need a free political environment on campuses with vibrant and robust student unions”.

Source: Pro Pakistani

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NEPRA Partners With Akhuwat, KE & Engro to Make Solar Power More Accessible

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), in collaboration with Akhuwat Islamic Microfinance (AIM), K-Electric (KE), and Engro Energy, will now offer interest-free microfinance loans (Qarz-e-Hasna) to households and small business owners for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

In this connection, NEPRA, while pursuing its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) drive ‘Power with Prosperity’, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the trio on Wednesday to make solar energy more accessible for the unserved and the underserved communities of Pakistan.

It is worth mentioning here that Chairman NEPRA, Tauseef H. Farooqi, launched ‘Power with Prosperity Fund’ earlier this year to initiate mega CSR projects to uplift the underprivileged communities of the country. And, the MoU has been reached at a time when solar power makes less than 2% of the entire power mix. The government intends to boost the share of clean and green energy up to 60% of the total energy mix by 2030, so this initiative by NEPRA is viewed as a remarkable step to provide access to a clean energy source in an affordable manner for homeowners and small businesses.

Under the MoU, KE and Engro Energy will donate a cumulative revolving grant of Rs. 15 million to Akhuwat which will create a dedicated credit pool for the loan borrowers. The loan duration will be up to 36 months with a minimum loan size of Rs. 20,000 with no interest rate.

Source: Pro Pakistani

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Pakistan Pavilion Showcases Clean & Green Initiative at Dubai Expo 2020

The Pakistan Pavilion Expo 2020 organized a panel discussion on Clean Green Pakistan with the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam, in order to highlight the efforts that Pakistan has made on climate change. The event was organized with PepsiCo Pakistan.

The Climate and Biodiversity Thematic Week started in Dubai Expo 2020 on October 3 and will continue till October 9. During this week, several talk forums and thought leadership sessions have so far been organized.

Speaking on the occasion, Malik Amin Aslam shed light on the initiatives taken by the present government toward a Clean and Green Pakistan. He also shared Pakistan’s plans for the future. He stressed the urgency to preserve the environment and adopt effective methods to make future progress eco-friendly.

He appreciated the role of the private sector in working in unison with the government on climate change.

He also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between PepsiCo Pakistan and Novatex for putting up a bottle recycling plant with the capacity to recycle 500 million bottles a year. The plant will be operational by 2022.

Source: Pro Pakistani

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FBR Aims to Continue Its Record Revenue Collection Momentum in Next Quarter

The 5th Board-in-Council meeting of the Federal Board of Revenue was held under the chairmanship of Chairman FBR, Dr. Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed.

The Board-in-Council members deliberated upon the growth of 38.3% in revenue collection for the first quarter (July-September) of the current FY2021-22 and conveyed their appreciation for the field formations. The net revenue collection of Rs. 1,395 billion, exceeding the set target for the first quarter, has also been appreciated by the Prime Minister.

The Board-in-Council also devised a robust strategy to keep the same momentum of revenue collection in the second quarter (October to December) of the current financial year. They expressed their strong resolve to collect substantial revenue in the second quarter and thus exceed the target set for this period.

The meeting also appreciated the comprehensive print and electronic media campaign launched by the FATE Wing which helped FBR receive a massive number of Rs. 1.86 million in returns till 30th September 2021, garnering tax of Rs. 39 billion in returns. The members particularly mentioned the impact created by the videos of national heroes and renowned celebrities appealing to the general public through social media to file their returns within the due date.

They thanked all the national heroes for their valued support in making this campaign highly successful. The members also lauded the initiative of FATE Wing to use all cellular companies for SMS outreach to the people to file their tax returns.

Furthermore, the Board-in-Council also decided to speed up the measures required to broaden the tax base, document the economy through POS, and fast-track implementation of Track and Trace System on Tobacco, Sugar, Fertilizers, Cement, Beverages, Petroleum and Pharmaceutical sectors.

Source: Pro Pakistani

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