Media urged to enhance its role in increasing literacy rate | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Media urged to enhance its role in increasing literacy rate

Faisalabad: Media, being the fourth pillar of state, needs to enhance its role for increasing literacy rate and make it at par with developed nations by motivating the public about education, which is a base of progress, said Professor Dr Zakir Hussian, Vice Chancellor, Government College University Faisalabad.

He was talking to a delegation of journalists from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa headed by Nadir Khawaja on Thursday. The team came here on the invitation of Sports Journalists Association Faisalabad (SJAF). GCUF Director Admin Chaudhry Muhammad Mushtaq, Director Sports Muhammad Rafiq Wahla, Media Consultant Abid Kamalvi, Kiran Fatima and office bearers of SJAF were also present.

The media has emerged as powerful and influential medium in Pakistan and helping change the mindset of the public with awareness, the Vice Chancellor said, adding that it (media) is playing an active role in raising the real issues of the public, to create awareness and set the path for uplift of society and country as well. He said the literacy rate in Pakistan is only 58 percent which is very low compared to developed nations. It is the need of the hour to raise it for meeting the demands of modern era by producing a force of trained manpower.

The Vice Chancellor said that the GCUF is chalking out a comprehensive plan to upgrade its Department of Mass Communication with the establishment of FM Radio and Media Lab. He also informed the journalists that the GCUF is standing at number sixth in the list of best universities across the country according to the Higher Education Commission ranking. He said that the university is committed to provide quality education to the students and having as many as 300 PhDs.

He also told media persons that on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister, the University arranged the Punjab Youth Festival aimed at highlighting the God-gifted skills of the students. The Vice Chancellor also praised the media for proper highlighting the issue of a fourteen-year-old girl, Malala, who championed for the cause of the education in her vicinity in particular and across the country in general. Delegation of journalists from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa headed by Nadir Khawaja also visited the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI), where Secretary General FCCI Abid Masood and Deputy Secretary M D Tahir informed them about textile hub and warmly welcomed them.

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