ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has decided to remove male professors and teachers from women’s universities across the province as part of efforts to prevent harassment and ensure the safety of female students. Governor Sardar Saleem Haider announced the move, emphasizing that strict actions will be taken against individuals involved in any harassment at educational institutions.
In addition to the removal of male staff, the governor revealed plans to overhaul the system for preparing and checking examination papers to protect female students from potential blackmail and harassment. University administrations have been instructed to implement these changes, with performance evaluation forms being distributed to vice-chancellors and professors. Future rewards and punishments will be based on these assessments.
In a separate announcement, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif introduced the Honhaar Scholarship Programme in Gujranwala division, which will provide scholarships to 1,947 students, totaling Rs89.8 million. This includes Rs58.5 million for 1,276 students of government universities, Rs13.2 million for 481 college students, and additional scholarships for private institution and medical college students.
Chief Minister Sharif also committed to increasing the number of scholarships to 50,000 in the next budget and stated that second and third-year students will soon be eligible for merit-based scholarships.
