By Mansoor Malik

LAHORE: The Punjab University’s BA/BSc annual examination results on Wednesday showed 27.73 pass percentage — a 3.06 per cent rise from last year’s 24.67 per cent.

According to the preamble to the result notification, as many as 183,350 candidates appeared for the BA/BSc annual examinations, of whom 50,849 candidates were declared successful.

Girls kept the perception of being more studious alive by clinching the six top positions; none of them belonged to any public-sector college in Punjab. The overall gender-wise pass percentage also showed that the girls outshone boys with 32.38 per cent. The boys’ pass percentage remained 19.02.

In BA examinations, girls showed 30.95 pass percentage, while boys’ pass percentage stood at 18.3. Similarly, in BSc examination, boys showed 23.85 pass percentage, while the girls came up with almost double pass percentage, that is, 45.59.

The BA/BSc annual examination results were declared by PU Controller of Examinations Zahid Karim Khan at a prize-distribution ceremony in the Faisal Auditorium on Wednesday. None of the public- or private-sector institutions in Lahore could bag any top position.

In the humanities group (BA), all the three top position holders had appeared as private candidates. Umme Habiba, an external candidate from Lahore district, clinched first position with 673 marks out of 800. She also topped in the English language paper. Asia Ashraf, an external candidate from Sheikhupura district, bagged second position with 650 marks. Saira Laique, an external candidate from Lahore, stood third by scoring 646.

In science group (BSc), Amna Riaz of the Punjab College for Women, Civil Lines, Gujranwala, bagged first position by scoring 696. Daniah Tahir of the Federal Government College for Women, F-7/2, Islamabad, secured second position with 663 marks. While Musavarah Sarwar clinched third position, scoring 656.

According to the breakdown of regular and private candidates, the notification says 71,399 regular candidates appeared for the examination. Of them 26,734 candidates were declared successful showing a pass percentage of 37.44. As many as 111,951 private candidates took the examination, 24,115 being successful (21.54pc).

As for the overall consolidated division analysis in BA, as many as 1,696 boys and 7,337 girls secured first division, 7,663 boys and 24,709 girls bagged second division and 721 boys and 1,247 girls got third division.

In BSc, some 208 boys and 1,245 girls bagged first division, 1,227 boys and 2,984 girls secured second division and 292 boys and 280 girls got third division.

The controller of examinations said the examination centre superintendents, examiners and university monitoring teams reported cases of alleged use of unfair means against 687 candidates. He said all these cases were decided before the declaration of results, except 51 cases.

The chief minister lauded the girls who clinched the top positions and at the same time expressed grave concern that no boy was able to compete with the girls. In a lighter vein, he said, there was a possibility that the next chief minister might be a woman.

The chief minister said he would invite the top position holders of all universities to a special ceremony. He said the Punjab government would bear the financial burden if any of the position holders would get admission to MA/MSc in Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge or any other varsity of such repute.

He announced cash prizes of Rs200,000 for each first position holder, Rs150,000 for each second position holder and Rs100,000 for each third position holder. While, the PU presented cash prizes of Rs100,000, Rs75,000 and Rs65,000 for each first, second and third position holder.

The CM also announced a bonus of one-month salary for all the examination department officials. If the PU would succeed in enhancing PhD faculty members ratio from 35 to 100 per cent in the next five years, Mr Sharif said the government would provide Rs100 million annually to the university.

Later, CM Shahbaz Sharif presented merit certificates and cash prizes to the position holders.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/16/2009