In response to the widespread copy culture among students in Sindh, Minister for Boards and Universities, Mohammad Ismail Rahu, announced that strict action would be taken against the controller of exams if students are caught cheating.
During a session in the Sindh Assembly, Rahu expressed concern over the endemic problem of cheating during exams and highlighted the efforts of his ministry to combat this issue.
“We have confiscated numerous mobile phones from students during exams and have registered cases against those involved in promoting the copy culture. It is crucial to prioritize quality education to discourage such practices among students,” the minister stated.
Addressing reports of question paper leaks in various districts of Sindh prior to exams, Ismail Rahu responded by saying, “We have conducted inquiries into the matter, and answers to question papers are released online an hour after exams begin.”
Discussing the issue of prolonged power outages in towns and cities where exam centers are set up, the minister mentioned that he had written letters to power utility companies in different divisions, but his requests were disregarded, resulting in hours-long load shedding.
During the session, concerns were raised about exorbitant fares charged by transporters in Karachi and other districts of Sindh. Rana Ansar, the Parliamentary Leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, in a call attention notice, questioned the steps taken by the Sindh Information and Transport Minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon, to control illegal fares. Ansar stated that despite a reduction in fuel prices, transporters were unwilling to lower fares, and some unscrupulous elements were exploiting commuters. She urged the government to take notice of the issue.
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Memon responded by stating that he had written letters to transporters to reduce fares. He informed the assembly that during Eid, transport department officials monitored inter-city buses and took action against those charging excessive fares. “For those traveling on the Peoples Bus Service, we have fixed the fare at Rs50 per person,” he added. Memon emphasized that the Sindh government was subsidizing the Peoples Bus Service operators and would not increase the fare even if fuel prices rise.
Regarding the interconnectivity of the Orange Bus and Green Line bus services, raised by Ali Khursheedi of the MQM in a call attention notice, Memon explained that the Green Line Bus Project is under federal government authority and will be handed over to the provincial government after three years. He assured the assembly that coordination with the federal government was underway to establish interconnectivity between the two transport systems, adding that there were sufficient buses available to address the issue.
At the beginning of the session, Tanzeela Umi Habiba, the Chief Minister’s Special Assistant on Information Technology, informed the house that her department was working on introducing new technology and internet facilities in government departments to bring about significant improvements and enable connectivity with the rest of the world.
