Friday, January 28, 2022

kajdaka

   In pursuance ol Ministry of Interior's direction vide letter ENo.4-1/Z02Z-CDA-III, dated 10.01.2022, the appllcatlons for the following project posts tabllahment of Medical & Cardiac Cara Unit In AddTtTonaT Block of CAPFféL HOSPITAL ISLAMABAD) at Capital Hospital on contract basis are hereby relnvlted the from suitable candldates posaeeNng quallflcations, eXperlence and age limit as men¢oned against each post.


Sr.¥ Name of Post BPS No. of Post MTnlmum QualoTcatlon, ExgerTenoe and other Condltlons ProvTncTal ouota

Consultant Cardiac Surgeon

 

01 I) MBBS or equivalent qualltlcation recognized by Paklstan Medical Commission / PMDG.

ii) FCPS / ORCS or equivalent qualification recognlzed by PMC In Cardlac Surgery.

lil)  10 years clinical experience in the requlsite specialty. Age. 4S years

Merit

flesurgeon

(B:

g

01 MBBS or equivalent qualification recognized by' PMC.

PMC level III qualification in reapeetive subject like FCPS / MD / MW or other equivalent leve

Ill qualification in the specialty recognized / registered by the PMC.

07 years clinical experience in tha requisite specialty / field. Age: 4S Yearn

Merlt

19

01 i. MBBS or equlvalent quald'ication reco gntzad by PMC.

1i. PMC level III qualflica1lon In respective subject like FCPS / MD / MS or other equivalenł Ieve

III qualification in the specialty recognlzed / registered by the PMC. iil.  07 years clinical experience in the requis)te opeciaJty / field.

Age: 4S Years

Merlt


4

MaxII1ofacTaI Surgeon

19

01 I. MBBS or equivalent qualltlcatlon recognized by PMC.

IL PMC level III auallflcatlon In respective subject Ilke FCPS / MD / MD or other equlvalent leve III quallflcatlon In the speclalty recognlzed / registered by tlne PMC.

U\.    07 years cI1nIcaI experlence in the requlslte specialty / fleld. Age — 45 yearn

Merlt


5

Orthodontic Spec1aI1st

19

01 MBBS or equlvalent quaittlcatlon racognlzed by PMC.

PMG ]eveI III quallllcatlon In respective subject 1II‹e FCPS / MD / MS or other equlvalent leve

lii quailficatlon In the specialty recognlzed / registered by the PMC. lil.  07 years cllnlcal experience In the requlslte specialty / field.

Age: 4S years

Merlt


6

Plastic Surgeon


19

01 l. MBBS or equlyalent quallllcation recognized by PMC.

ii.   PMC level III qualllicatlon in respective subject like FCPS / MD / MS or other equlvaJent leve III qualification In the Specialty recognlzed / registered Dy the PMC.

!iI.  07 year clinical expeñence In the requlcite specialty / field. Age: 45 years

Merlt


7

Endocrinologist

ł 9


01 MBBS or equivalent qualification recognized by PMC.

PMC level III quallfioalion in respective subject 1Ike FCPS / MD / MS or other equivalent leve

III qualification in the specialty recognized / registered by the PMC.

07 year clinical experience }n the requisite specialty / field. Age 45 years

Merlt


B

Vmoulo Su,geon


19

01 I. MBBS or aqu)vaIent qualltlcatlon recognized by PMC.

ii. PMC level III qualification in respective subject like FCPS / MD / MS or other equlvalent Ieve

III qualification in the speclalty recognized / registered by the PMC.

lii.  07 years cllnlcal experlence In the requlslte speclalty / fie!d. Age: 4S years

Meńl


9

Rheumatologlst


19

01 I. MBBS or equlvalent qualltlcatlon recognized by PMC.

li. PMC level III aualltlcation In respective subject IIke FCPS / MD / MS or other equlvalent leve III quallflcatlon In the speclalty recognlzed / reglstered by the PMC.

lil.  07 years cI1nIcaI experlence In the requlslte specialty / held. Age: 45 years

Merlt


10

Spna|Surgeoo


19

01 l. MBBS or equlvalent qualtlcatlon recognized by PMC.

li. PMC ]evel III qualification ]n respective subject IIke FCPS / MD / MS or otner equlvalent leve III quallficatlon In the specialty recognized / registered by the PMC.

Ili.   07 years cllnlcal exper!ence In the requlaite apecTalty / field. Age. 4S years

Merit

11 D!rec!or Biomedical 19 04 i) M.S Biomedical Englneerlng.

li)  12 yeah expeflence in the relevant field Age. 45 Years Merit


  Chlet Nurslng superlntendent

19 01 ł) Post Graduation in Nurstng.

li)   12 years experlence in the ralevant field. Age: 4S Years Merlt


13

Barlatrlc Surgeon

18

01 I. MBBS or equivalent qualltlcatlon recognlzed by PMC.

IL PMC level III auallflcatlon In respective subject Ilke FCPS / MD / MS or other equlvalent leve

III qu•I!fIcatIon In the speclalty tecognlzed / reglsteied by the PMC. lil.  03 years cllnlcal experience In the requlslte specialty / fleld.

Age: 35 years

Merlt


14

Associate Neuro Physician


18

01 MBBS or equivalent oualltlcatlon recognized by PMC.

PMC level III qualltlcatlon Tn respective subject Ilke FCPS / MD / MS or other equlvaTent leve

III quallflcatlon In the speclaJty recognlzed / reglstered Dy the PMC.

03 years cI1nIcaI experience In the requlslte specialty / field. Age: 35 years

Merlt



15

Amocate Neuro Surgeon


18

01 MBBS or equlyalent quallllcation recognized by PMC.

PLC level III qualification in respective subject IIke FCPS / MD / MS or other equivalen1 III qualiflcatlon In the aqeciaty recognized / registered by the PMC.

IU.  03 yeafs cllnlcal experience In the requlsite specialty / field.

Age: 35 years

Merit


16

C!lnlcal Psychologlst

18

01 Ph.D / M.PhII / M.Sc or equivalaiJt qualification in Psychology recognized by HEC.

Diploma in clinical Psychology or equivalent.

5 years clinical / teaching experience in the elevant field. Age. 36 years

Merlt


17

Audlologist

18

01 l. B.S / M.S (Audlology).

IL Preference will be glven to MS / M.PhI1 (Audlology  / Hearlng Sciences).

III.   02 years expehence In the requisite specialty.

Age: 3S years.

Merlt


18

Speech Theraplst

18

0d B.Ss (Speech Language Pathology).

Preference wlll be given to MS / M.PSII (Speech & Language Pathology). IU.    02 years (post dlploma) c!lnlcaI experlence In the requlshe speclalty. Age: 3S years.

Mern




19



Medical Oflicers (1:3)



17


 


I) MBBS or equivalent quallficalion recognized by the Pakistan MadlcaJ Commission. li) One year house jab.

iii)  Preference will be given to those having previous experience in the relevant field. Age: 30 yeais Merit-a2

Pun]ab-16 Slndh (R) - 4 SJndh (U) - 3 BaIochistan•2

 

Ex-FATA-1

(Newly merged Dietrjct of KPK




20



Head Nurse




17




09 I) BSc. Nurslng recognized by PaMstan Nurslng CouncI1.

li) 05 yearn regular servlce as Staff Nur6e \n government / semi-government / registered / recognized private hoagltal.

lix)   Age: 33 years OF

I) Matilc with Sclence

li) Diploma In General Nursing.

lii)  Dlploma In Midwifery.

lv)   of years regular service as Gtaff Nurae In government / semi-government / registered / recognize private hospital.

“Note: Hlghar qualifications / axgañenca will be preferred.


Merit-01 Punjab-4 5In^^ tR) - 1 5lPdh (U) - 1 Balochistan-\ KPK-1




21


Staff Nume (1:3)


 


  I) BSc. Nurslng recogn zed by Pakistan Nursing Counci!.

li)   Preference will be given to those having previous experience in the field. lil)  Aga: Z7 years OF

I) Matrlc with Sclance

li)   Diploma in General Numing.

lii)  Diploma In Midwifery.

lv)  Preference wlll be given to those havlng previous experlence In the field. ”Note: Higher qualifications / experience will be preferred. Meril-02

Punjab-16 Slndh tR-) 4

Sndh (U- 3

BaIochIotan-2 AJK•1 KPK-4

Ex-FAA-1

(Newly mergea DlstrTct of KPK


  Speech Therapy Technlcian

04

01 I. Matrlc w th science.

Dlploma / Certiflcate ln relevant tleld.

Experlence preferred

Age:2Syeam.

Merlt


23

IT Technlclan

09

02 ICS, 02 yaars experience OF

Matric with Science  Diploma / Certiticate in relevant field.

03 years experience.

Age: 25 year. Meńt-01

Punjab-1

24 Biomedical Technician 09 01 I) Matñc wilh Science + Diploma / Cer1ificate In ratavant fieId.

li)      OF yeare experlence in relevant field. Age: 25 years. Merit

2S Receptlonist 07

  SA / FSc, ICS, I.Com with one year relevant experience. Age. 25 years

Slndh(R)-1 KPK1


26

Secunty Guards

Of

08 I) Mlddle Pacs.

li)  Ey-service man is preterable. Age 3S yeam (Provlded tnet \fscancIes In sucti poete stiall not

*e fllIeA leeu than flfty percent firm smongat tbe persone domlelled In tfie (INT}

27 vVan Boy 02 08 Primary passed, preferably m‹ddIe passed.

Previous experience in a hospital preferable. Age: 2s years —do-


2B

Aya

02 08 I) Prlmary passed, preferably middle paoaed.

li) Previous eXperlance in a hospital prafarable. Age: 2fi yeah —do-

28 O'itice AAenda nt 01 15 I) Prlmary passed, preferably midd]e passed.

li) Previous experience as Office Attendant preferable.

Age: 25 years —do-

30 Sanlta yvvorkere

0{ 10 I) Merate

li) Previous expeñence as Sanitary Worker preferable. Age 2s years —do-

ânetruct&ne:•

New wfltten appllcation on plain paper along with attested copies of all educadonaJ documents, experience certificates, two recent photographs, CNIC and Domicile should reach the otI'ice of Project Director/ Director General (HC&II) Capital Hospital, CDA within 1S days from the date of this advertlsement.

Name of Post and Serial Number should be mentioned on the left corner of the Envelope and app#catlons wlth Block Bold Letters.

Incomplete and unattestad documents MII not be entertalned.

No Té / DA wI)I be admissible for comlng for the test / Interview. Only shortllsteo candldates wlll be called for test / Interview.

The candidates working in pub1Ic sector departments / organizations should send their applicatlon through proper channel. Age relaxation shall be allowed aa oer government Instructions / pollcy.

All applicable quotas will be observed as per Fedaral Government policy.

All project posts shall be purely on contract basis for a pariod of ona year having no vested rlght for regular appointment.

All applications should be forwarded through Post Office or any courier service. No applicatlon will de entertained "BY LAND".

The Capilal Devełopment Authorlty has lne right to cancel advemsement at any tlme.


SEND APPLICATION TO:

Capital Hospital, CDA, Sector G•6/2 lalamabad.




PID (I) 5142/2021

Projeot Dizector / DG (HC&SI)

Capital Hospitał

Thursday, January 7, 2021

That's the way to go, says Koeman as Barca hit top gear

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman was glowing with pride after his side's 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday and said the performance was a benchmark for the remainder of the season. Barca fell behind in the third minute on an Inaki Williams goal during a counterattack but responded emphatically with goals from Pedri and a resurgent Lionel Messi either side of halftime before Iker Muniain struck late for the hosts. "That's the way we need to continue. I felt like we controlled the game the whole time and there were barely any dips in our play," Koeman told a news conference. The win lifted Barca into third place in the standings and led Koeman to reassess previous pessimistic comments about his side's faint chances of catching leaders Atletico Madrid, who lead the Catalans by seven points with two games in hand. "The title race is still open because the season is very long. There can be injuries, teams can have downturns and a side that looks very good can end up struggling," he said. The Dutchman also praised Messi, who produced arguably his best performance of the season and was unlucky not to grab a hat trick. The Barca captain has had a relatively poor season by his own standards but his scores took him on to nine goals for the campaign, making him the joint top scorer in La Liga. "Messi has given everything since day one, he has spent so many years at the very top level but it seems that now he has become even more effective," Koeman said. "He has always shown us his skill and his commitment but today he gave us his goals too." On 18-year-old playmaker Pedri, Koeman added: "He plays with so much maturity despite his age and most importantly he uses his head."

from Latest Sports News & Updates | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/2JVBst8

Of mice and men: Keeping track of Ronaldo and co

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates may be surprised to learn the video and data analysis their coaches use was devised by scientists who used it to track the behaviour of mice, monkeys and human eye movements. Ruben Saavedra, the Spanish CEO of Metrica Sports, says it is not a stretch to transfer the use of data to track the behaviour of mice and rats to the task of tracking "movement of players on the pitch". Saavedra and Argentinian co-founder Bruno Dagnino -- who studied the eye movements of monkeys and humans -- found they shared more than an interest in science when they were studying for their PhDs in the Netherlands. "We had two things in common: as Barcelona and Argentina fans, Lionel Messi was an easy link, and we were the only people on our courses who loved football," Saavedra told AFP in an interview. "There are lots of nerds in science who do not have other hobbies and so he and I could talk football, which was nice." The final part of the puzzle was complete with another Argentinian, Enzo Angilletta, who had a video production company. Togther they developed a system that integrates data with video analysis, which had been done only manually before. By marrying data and video they created what its developers call a "workflow of football analysts". "Presenting graphs and raw data was not enough for clubs," said Saavedra. The process is unusual in that it analyses technical skills and positioning during matches, rather than simply measure distance covered. Thus, the national teams of Portugal and Paraguay, and clubs as far afield as Melbourne Victory and Santos in Brazil have benefited from the video and data analysis product, with the top clubs paying more 100,000 euros ($122,000) a year. Thanks to that level of income, Metrica have been able to produce a free plan, Play Basic, a version of the analysis tool which is available to download for free to anybody. It has already attracted a diverse clientele from academies in Africa to amateur players and coaches from rugby union, cricket and ice hockey. "A few years ago we had to have cameras in stadia but it has evolved," he said. "Now we can track any game on any video with our new technology. "We are working to automate the manual work in acquiring the data so it will be affordable for some clubs, who now can only dream of having it." Saavedra likes to think of Metrica Sports as a 'mini-Tesla', the electric car company, beginning with a high-end expensive product which can then by used to channel funds into the development and launch of a more affordable one. "I like saying we follow the kind of model Tesla followed even if they are a huge company compared to Metrica. "The first clients fund investment and development of technology which benefits them and at same time allows us to develop new technologies to cut costs. "Making this technology accessible to teams like Stockport County or academies in Vietnam was possible because we partnered with the elite clubs first." - 'Click of a button' - However, while the price may stay at six figures for the elite clubs and national sides, the amount of time saved on the weary eyes of their respective video analysts is immeasurable. "It was a very manual process before and this saves them tonnes of time," said Saavedra. "Previously, a video analyst would sit and pause the match at every instance he wanted recording, that could take four or five hours to watch the whole game. "With Metrica Sports, they simply click a few buttons and that same work is done in two or three minutes." Saavedra uses an example of a coach telling two defenders never to be further than a specific distance from play. "We can write an algorithm that shows every moment when they are further away than they should be as directed by the coach. "They can see the lines showing distance, red for further, yellow for closer, just at the click of a button." The process is unusual in that it analyses technical skills and positioning during matches, rather than simply measure distance covered. Saavedra's enthusiasm reflects his lack of regret at ditching neuroscience despite studying it for 14 years. "I say football used to be my hobby and neuroscience was my job," he said. "I flipped that and it is awesome."

from Latest Sports News & Updates | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/3ondNRg

Keane says Fernandes must do more in big games for Man Utd

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes' ability to inspire the team has drawn comparisons to talismanic former player Eric Cantona but ex-captain Roy Keane believes the Portuguese must do more in big games following their League Cup exit on Wednesday. United were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City, who reached their fourth straight final thanks to second-half goals from defender John Stones and Fernandinho, while Fernandes had a quiet game. Fernandes made a big impression after joining from Sporting Lisbon last year, with 27 goals and 17 assists overall, and his impact has been likened by former United players to that of Cantona who helped end their 26-year wait for a league title in 1993. "It's not easy winning football trophies. Fernandes has had praise for the last few months and people have been comparing him to Cantona. He didn't really do much tonight," Keane told Sky Sports on Wednesday. "The top players turn up in the big occasions. And that's what the Cantonas used to do – they get their hands on trophies. That's where this team are a little bit short." United have now lost at the semi-final stage in their last four Cup campaigns and Keane said that they needed fresh blood to take the next step. "They probably need one or two more players to come into this squad, no doubt, and they need the mentality and confidence of winning a semi-final to get them over the line," he added. "You then get momentum and they just didn't quite have it (against City)."

from Latest Sports News & Updates | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/2MHiUhe

Serena, Barty to headline Australian Open warm-up tournaments

World number one Ashleigh Barty and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams will spearhead the two WTA tournaments in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, with the top 32-ranked women split evenly across the simultaneous events, organisers said Thursday. The onslaught of Covid-19 has forced a radical change to how the early 2021 tennis season will look, with the Australian Open pushed back three weeks to February 8. Players will arrive in Australia from January 15 and undergo a mandatory two-week quarantine before two WTA 500 and two ATP 250 events are held alongside the ATP Cup, all at Melbourne Park. Organisers have branded it the Melbourne Summer Series and named each tournament after areas of Victoria state. That will see the women play the Gippsland Trophy and Yarra Valley Classic from January 31-February 6, marking Barty's first appearance in 11 months after opting out of the US and European swing last year over coronavirus fears. As well as Williams, the likes of world number two Simona Halep, defending Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and previous Australian Open winners Naomi Osaka, Victoria Azarenka and Angelique Kerber will take part. The leading men's stars, including Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, will compete in the 12-team ATP Cup, which will be run at the same time and at the same venue. Those that didn't qualify will play in two ATP 250 tournaments -- the Great Ocean Road Open and Murray River Open, featuring top names including David Goffin, Stan Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov and Nick Kyrgios. "There's no doubt this will be an historic week of tennis, and is the biggest-ever Australian Open lead-in week we have seen," said Tennis Australia's major events chief Cameron Pearson. "While we know the circumstances are unique this year, it is a huge coup to secure such strong playing fields."

from Latest Sports News & Updates | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/2MCN98V

Of mice and men: Keeping track of Ronaldo and co

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates may be surprised to learn the video and data analysis their coaches use was devised by scientists who used it to track the behaviour of mice, monkeys and human eye movements. Ruben Saavedra, the Spanish CEO of Metrica Sports, says it is not a stretch to transfer the use of data to track the behaviour of mice and rats to the task of tracking "movement of players on the pitch". Saavedra and Argentinian co-founder Bruno Dagnino -- who studied the eye movements of monkeys and humans -- found they shared more than an interest in science when they were studying for their PhDs in the Netherlands. "We had two things in common: as Barcelona and Argentina fans, Lionel Messi was an easy link, and we were the only people on our courses who loved football," Saavedra told AFP in an interview. "There are lots of nerds in science who do not have other hobbies and so he and I could talk football, which was nice." The final part of the puzzle was complete with another Argentinian, Enzo Angilletta, who had a video production company. Togther they developed a system that integrates data with video analysis, which had been done only manually before. By marrying data and video they created what its developers call a "workflow of football analysts". "Presenting graphs and raw data was not enough for clubs," said Saavedra. The process is unusual in that it analyses technical skills and positioning during matches, rather than simply measure distance covered. Thus, the national teams of Portugal and Paraguay, and clubs as far afield as Melbourne Victory and Santos in Brazil have benefited from the video and data analysis product, with the top clubs paying more 100,000 euros ($122,000) a year. Thanks to that level of income, Metrica have been able to produce a free plan, Play Basic, a version of the analysis tool which is available to download for free to anybody. It has already attracted a diverse clientele from academies in Africa to amateur players and coaches from rugby union, cricket and ice hockey. "A few years ago we had to have cameras in stadia but it has evolved," he said. "Now we can track any game on any video with our new technology. "We are working to automate the manual work in acquiring the data so it will be affordable for some clubs, who now can only dream of having it." Saavedra likes to think of Metrica Sports as a 'mini-Tesla', the electric car company, beginning with a high-end expensive product which can then by used to channel funds into the development and launch of a more affordable one. "I like saying we follow the kind of model Tesla followed even if they are a huge company compared to Metrica. "The first clients fund investment and development of technology which benefits them and at same time allows us to develop new technologies to cut costs. "Making this technology accessible to teams like Stockport County or academies in Vietnam was possible because we partnered with the elite clubs first." - 'Click of a button' - However, while the price may stay at six figures for the elite clubs and national sides, the amount of time saved on the weary eyes of their respective video analysts is immeasurable. "It was a very manual process before and this saves them tonnes of time," said Saavedra. "Previously, a video analyst would sit and pause the match at every instance he wanted recording, that could take four or five hours to watch the whole game. "With Metrica Sports, they simply click a few buttons and that same work is done in two or three minutes." Saavedra uses an example of a coach telling two defenders never to be further than a specific distance from play. "We can write an algorithm that shows every moment when they are further away than they should be as directed by the coach. "They can see the lines showing distance, red for further, yellow for closer, just at the click of a button." The process is unusual in that it analyses technical skills and positioning during matches, rather than simply measure distance covered. Saavedra's enthusiasm reflects his lack of regret at ditching neuroscience despite studying it for 14 years. "I say football used to be my hobby and neuroscience was my job," he said. "I flipped that and it is awesome."

from Latest Sports News & Updates | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/3ondNRg

Messi shines as impressive Barca win in Bilbao

Lionel Messi was at the top of his game as Barcelona earned a 3-2 win at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday to move up to third in La Liga. Athletic got off to a dream start in their first match under new coach Marcelino when forward Inaki Williams latched on to a low through ball and raced towards goal, beating one defender before firing low into the net in the third minute. Barca quickly responded, however, with a sensational team goal, Messi delivering a superb pass to pick out Frenkie de Jong by the byline and the Dutchman volleyed the ball back across the area for 18-year-old Pedri to head home. Messi and Pedri combined beautifully to put Barca ahead, the youngster receiving a pass from the Argentine before returning it with a delightful backheel and Messi rolled the ball into the bottom corner in the 38th minute. Messi struck again in the 62nd minute to finish off another brilliant team move and missed a couple of chances to complete his hat-trick, although Iker Muniain made for a tense finale by scoring for Athletic in the 90th. The win took Barca above Real Sociedad and into third in the standings on 31 points, seven behind leaders Atletico Madrid who have two games in hand on the Catalans.

from Latest Sports News & Updates | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/2XeZYsh

Is Pakistan’s education crisis responsible for the economic crisis?

Pseudo modernism has labeled the education status of a country to be the major determinant of economic growth. As per the International Bureau of Education, the education sector of a country must ideally inculcate certain lifelong competencies in students so that the economic and social spillovers of education may add to the economic development of the nation. There is no doubt that the economic returns to education are tremendously positive, nevertheless, the marginal returns – measured by the employability and productivity of labour – vary across the globe. New growth theories also emphasise on treating education as a separate input in the production function as it has a tendency to make production units achieve economies of scale (Sianesi and Reenen, 2000). Social returns to education on the other hand include a reduction in poverty incidence, improved civic behaviour, improved health and the minimisation of political cynicism. Despite these spillover effects of education, their universality remains overrated due to the incompetency of the education system, especially in the case of developing countries. In Pakistan, despite a strong emphasis on the pseudo modernistic nexus between education and economic growth, the ground realities give a contrary picture. The figure below reflects the difference in the trends of the education budget (as a percentage share of the GDP) and rate of economic growth over a decade. It is clear from the figure that the growth rate neither responds to the changes in the education budget nor does it follow the trend similar to that of the education budget. The education budget has remained within the range of 2% to 3% of the GDP since 2009, whereas the trend of growth rate has shown significant volatility i.e. it has touched 6% and has also become negative during the same time span. Thus, the volatility of economic growth rate is independent of the education budget. Contributing factors behind this non-association between education and economic growth can be divided into three broader categories: 1) governance related challenges; 2) access related challenges and; 3) education quality related challenges. Governance related challenges Whenever the issues associated with the education system are raised, increasing the education budget is considered as the frequently proposed remedy. The education budget of Pakistan has increased from Rs 304 billion to Rs 980 billion since 2009, but the percentage share of the GDP allocated for the education sector has remained between 2% to 3%, which is far less than the international standards (i.e. 15% to 20%) and cannot meet the education demand of the growing population. Education is given the least priority in terms of budgetary allocations in Pakistan. The possible reason behind this is the fact that that the relationship between education and economic growth is nonlinear i.e. the marginal returns to educating one generation can only be seen in the long-run, not in the short-run (Stiglitz, 2006). In other words, education takes three to four cycles of government regimes to deliver returns, therefore the elected leaders prefer investing in sectors that either give returns in the short-run or increase the probability of their re-election in the very next government regime. Adding to the misery, a significant proportion of this 2% to 3% education budget remains unspent every year. For instance, during 2017-2018, 45% of the education budget of Punjab, 35% of the education budget of Sindh, 43% of the education budget of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and 41% of the education budget of Baluchistan remained unspent. It is important to note that increasing the education budget is an important tool to solve problems associated with the education system, but it can only address supply side issues, leaving behind the issues that impact education demand (such as access to education and education quality) unaddressed. Access related challenges In Pakistan, despite the provision of free and compulsory education, out of pocket expenses and the opportunity cost of sending children to schools are higher than making children an earning member of the household. This results in a low school enrollment rate, low transition rate and low retention rate. As per the Human Development Report (2018), Pakistan needs another 60 years to get all children of school going age into school. Moreover, an astonishing 81% of the public schools in Pakistan are primary schools, hence posing a huge challenge in terms of retention and transition of students at the post-primary level. Quality related challenges The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER, Pakistan) details a number of grade five students who are unable to read grade three Urdu and English text books. Empirical evidence further reveals that reading and writing inability, once developed during academic grades, offers severe implications for years to come (Juel, 1988). This puts human capital development at stake. Moreover, in Pakistan, formal education and technical education are treated as substitutes rather than compliments, and the majority of students enrolled in technical and vocational training institutes are those who drop out of school. This substitution keeps the skills level of college and university graduates low. However, the irony is that the employers prefer employees with a higher level of education over TVET diploma holders. Eventually, Pakistan ends up having worse performers in the job market, and the unemployment rate among graduates is higher compared with other segments of the labour force (UNDP, 2018). In light of the aforementioned incompetence of the education system, relating either to education demand or education supply, it is inferred that the determinants of economic growth are beyond the education sector itself. Volatility in the growth rate is largely because of unprecedented price rises that have increased the cost of living and shrunk peoples’ marginal propensity to consume; and foreign debt that rose from $73.9 billion (July 2016) to $105 billion (May 2019) within past two years. It means that every single citizen owes Rs. 82300.73 on account of increase in the external debt, and this debt burden reaches Rs. 125,000 if the state’s internal liabilities are also incorporated. Unfortunately, Pakistan relies on the policies framed by international monetary authorities to address these economic challenges, ignoring the fact that those policies are designed considering the economic condition of developed countries and that the multiplier effect of the same policy is always different for developed and developing country. We cannot reap targeted outcomes unless we frame policies that address our own priorities. We need effective utilisation of the resources that we already have in this country. Pakistan is a labour abundant country with 64% of the population below the age of 30. The economy must utilise its labour productively by imparting certain skills in them so that the labour brings value addition to the production sector and eventually to the GDP. We must learn from the example of Muslim emperors who ruled the subcontinent for centuries and made the economy so lucrative that 23% of the world’s GDP came from the subcontinent. This was not the outcome of education but skill development.

from The Big Picture Of The World News On The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/3hTX9Gr

Twitter, Facebook freeze Trump accounts as tech giants respond to storming of US Capitol

Twitter Inc, Facebook Inc and Snap Inc temporarily locked the accounts of U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, as tech giants scrambled to crack down on his baseless claims about the U.S. presidential election amid riots in the capital. Twitter hid and mandated the removal of three of Trump’s tweets “as a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C.,” after pro-Trump protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to force Congress to block the appointment of President-elect Joe Biden. Four people died on Capitol grounds in the chaos, including a woman who was shot and killed inside the building. The president and his allies for months have amplified unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, driving the organizing for the day’s demonstration. Trump said in a tweet on Wednesday, later taken down by Twitter, that the storming of the building was a natural response. He also blamed Vice President Mike Pence for lacking “courage” to pursue the claims of election fraud. Twitter locked Trump’s account until 12 hours after he deletes those tweets and a video in which he alleged the presidential election was fraudulent and urged protesters to go home. If the tweets are not deleted, the account will remain locked. Facebook and YouTube, owned by Alphabet’s Google, likewise removed the video. Facebook later said it would block Trump’s page from posting for 24 hours, with vice president of integrity Guy Rosen tweeting the video “contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence.” The company said in a blog post that it would ban calls to bring weapons to locations across the country and would remove any support for the events at the Capitol. A White House spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. RISK OF VIOLENCE Violent rhetoric and advice on weaponry ramped up significantly in the past three weeks on social media platforms as groups planned for the rallies, including white nationalists and enthusiasts of the wide-ranging QAnon conspiracy theory, according to researchers and public postings. Twitter and Facebook acted against major QAnon accounts last year, but by the time they did, influencers had been able to drive their followers to new platforms, such as Parler, and closed channels, like those on Telegram, where their conduct was harder to track.  Movement leaders frequently pointed to Trump’s words in their calls to action, including the president’s exhortation that the events in Washington on Jan. 6 would be “wild.” Comments during the occupation of the Capitol on TheDonald.win, a web site of Trump enthusiasts, included “WE WANT BLOOD” and “murder Pelosi,” according to research firm Advance Democracy Inc. As the siege of the Capitol escalated on Wednesday, civil rights groups including The Anti-Defamation League and Color of Change called for social media companies to suspend Trump’s accounts permanently. Former Facebook security chief Alex Stamos likewise tweeted: “Twitter and Facebook have to cut him off.” Some Facebook staffers joined calls for Trump’s accounts to be shut down and demanded transparency from executives about how they were handling the situation, according to internal posts seen by Reuters. “Can we get some courage and actual action from leadership in response to this behavior? Your silence is disappointing at the least and criminal at worst,” one employee wrote. Internal communications managers quickly closed comments on the threads. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the internal posts. Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg later wrote in an internal post confirmed by the company that he was “personally saddened by this mob violence.” He said Facebook was treating the situation as an emergency and “implementing additional measures to keep people safe,” without elaborating.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/3pUPMkT

Criticism mounts over India's 'abrupt' approval of COVAXIN

Criticism of India’s approval of a local COVID-19 vaccine without proof of its efficacy grew on Wednesday after news that a regulatory panel approved the shot just one day after asking the vaccine maker for more evidence it would work. The recommendations of the Indian drugs regulator’s subject expert committee (SEC) released on Tuesday show that the panel asked Bharat Biotech International Ltd to present more efficacy data for its COVID-19 shot before it could consider approving the treatment. “After detailed deliberation, the committee recommended that the firm ... may perform interim efficacy analysis for further consideration of restricted emergency use approval,” the SEC’s recommendations in a Jan. 1 meeting show. The very next day, the committee recommended approving Bharat Biotech’s vaccine for “restricted use in emergency situation in public interest as an abundant precaution.” The SEC also separately recommended emergency use authorisation for the Oxford University/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, being produced by India’s Serum Institute. The greenlighting of Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN had already faced criticism from opposition lawmakers and health experts for lack of efficacy data, typically obtained from a large, Phase III human trial - which the manufacturer is still conducting. News of the SEC’s recommendations spurred further criticism. “Was the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) approval a command performance? This is as serious as it can get,” Manish Tewari, an opposition lawmaker, said on Twitter. Health experts questioned why the SEC abruptly recommended approval one day after asking Bharat Biotech for more analysis. “The SEC ... appears to have been pressured overnight into reconsidering its decision and giving approval the next day, albeit hedged in by many conditions,” the All India People’s Science Network, a network of science advocacy groups, said in a statement. “We are perplexed at the abrupt change in thinking of the SEC from the first two meetings to the third day on which the approval was recommended while apparently discounting the need for efficacy data as the condition of the approval,” the All India Drug Action Network, a nonprofit health watchdog, said. Both Bharat Biotech and government officials have pointed to regulatory provisions that allow for quick drug approval for serious diseases even without Phase III trial data. Neither India’s drugs regulator nor Bharat Biotech responded to Reuters requests for comment on Wednesday. Regulators also granted approval to Bharat Biotech’s vaccine only “in clinical trial mode”, unusually cryptic language that left some experts baffled. “They’ve introduced terminologies that are confusing,” said Giridhar Babu, a professor of epidemiology at the Public Health Foundation of India. “The phrase ‘in clinical trial mode’ is not generally a term you will see in approvals.” Any confusion around vaccines could harm immunisation programmes by causing distrust, Babu said. “It takes decades of work to build confidence in vaccines.”

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/3q1ynqR