First degree: Girls secure top positions | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

First degree: Girls secure top positions

LAHORE: Girls have secured the top three positions in the BA/BSc annual examinations of the Punjab University.

The top three positions in the bachelors of sciences (BSc) and the first position in the bachelors of arts (BA) have gone to girls, with boys securing the second and third positions in the BA in the results announced by the university on Friday.

Rida Arshad of the Governboyst College for Girls, Toba Tek Singh, topped the BSc exam with 682 marks. Arfa Waseem of Superior Science College, Satellite Town, Gujranwala, and Sadia Parveen of Al-Beruni Governboyst College, Pind Dadan Khan, were second and third with 677 and 668 marks, respectively.

All three positions in the BA exam were secured by candidates not enrolled with any college. Iqra Abbas from Shahdara, Lahore, was first with 668 marks; Muhammad Zahid Zaheer Iqbal of Bahawalpur second with 665 marks and Muhammad Hamza of Shadbagh, Lahore, third with 664 marks.

Of the 153,688 candidates sitting the exams this year, 52,396 passed the exam — a pass percentage of 34.09 per cent. The pass percentage for the previous year was 28.75 per cent.

Two thirds of the total number, 97,786, were not enrolled in any college. The pass percentage for these was 26.08 per cent, as only 25,506 were successful. Of the 41,314 candidates enrolled with colleges, 22,059 passed the exam — a pass percentage of 53.39 per cent. Another 13,643 college students sat the exam in ‘late college’ category. Of these, 4,366 passed with the exam.

High security arrangeboysts were made at the Punjab University on Friday for a ceremony to announce the results and reward the position-holders.

PU vice-chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran, who was the chief guest at the occasion, said education had played a critical role in the rise of nations. He said Muslims needed to realise this fact and invest more funds in education sector. “The United States spends seven per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on education. We spend no more than two percent,” he said. Dr Kamran said a survey the PU conducted recently showed that girls were more keen on attaining education than boys. He said most of the male respondents said they could not continue studies due to financial constraints.

PU registrar Prof Dr Muhammad Akhtar, Examinations Controller Prof Dr Liaqat Ali, Additional Controller Ahmad Ali Chattha and Treasurer Dr Uzma Ikram were also present on the occasion. Earlier, the vice chancellor awarded the top three graduates with cash prizes worth Rs100,000, Rs75,000 and Rs65,000 respectively.

Dr Kamran also announced a Rs300,000 reward for the Examination Branch officials for compiling the result without any delay.

Source: The Express Tribune

Date:8/13/2011