Photo: Express
Karachi: Islamia College, established in Karachi in the early 60s, is going through severe challenges after being transferred from its historical location. The academic and administrative situation of decades-old Islamia College is different. It has decreased to percent.
This general picture and the division into faculties of science and arts and commerce is of Islamia Science and Islamia Arts and Commerce College, which is facing due to negligence and carelessness of College Education Department of Sindh Government, and like other colleges of Karachi, this college is now The caretaker chief minister is also looking forward to a sudden or surprise visit to Sindh.
Although the administration of Science College has tried to provide some support to it at its own expense or under its own help, the situation of Islamia Arts and Commerce College is deteriorating due to lack of interest from the authorities.
These revelations came on the occasion of a visit by “Express” to the new premises of Islamia College on the completion of one year of transfer of Islamia College.
It should be noted that the Islamia College under the former Islamia Trust was established in 1962 near Mazar-e-Quaid which later became a complex which was nationalized in 1972 like other private institutions.
A few years ago, a private party claiming the complex came forward in the name of Islamia Trust. On the other hand, the Sindh government could not give its firm stand in this regard in the court and after court orders, during the tenure of former education minister Sardar Shah, the college department Education had to be shifted to Islamia College, a few kilometers away from the said complex, in North Karachi.
The transfer of Islamia College took place last year in December 2022. When “Express” visited the existing building of Islamia Arts and Commerce College Morning, it was found that there is no library for students in the college because it could not be shifted from the library complex to the new building and now the college is without books. The box itself is being run.
Moreover, in the beginning, the college did not even have furniture for students, teachers and staff to sit, but according to the college principal Professor Ali Raz Shar, now 30 desks have been given to the students and a few desks have been installed in each classroom.
According to the college principal, there was no water in the college for a year, which has now been found a few days ago after a lot of effort. On a query, it was found that a total of a little over 400 admissions have been made to the college this year in the first year of inter-year.
According to the college principal Ali Raz Shar, last year there were 2600 admissions in the above two faculties, but when the students know that the college has gone so far, the students do not take admissions. The college principal said that we told the CAP authorities. That the admissions should be opened for students after “e-cap” but it was not done due to which the enrollment was so low.
It should be noted that Government Islamia Arts and Commerce College (Evening) is established on the first floor of the same building where no student comes to study and no furniture is available for them, all the classrooms are empty on the first floor of the college and They have been left locked, dust is flying in the college and it is being told that the college staff comes for some time in the afternoon.
In this regard, “Express” tried to contact Secretary College Education Sadaf Shaikh and asked her through SMS, what is her opinion on the different situation of the college now after the transfer, but there was no response from her. Not received.
When asked about the current situation of the college by contacting the Regional Director of Colleges, Professor Sulaiman Syal, he said that the college had to be shifted due to the court order, there was no building nearby, so the college was taken so far away. Due to this, children do not come to college and admissions have also decreased.
On the situation of the lab and library, he said that I do not have much information in this regard, I will be able to find out and tell. Sulaiman Syal said that we have appealed to the court on this issue but after a long time the hearing has not taken place, we hope that we will get the college back.
On the other hand, Government Islamia Science College, which is about 6 to 8 kilometers away from Arts and Commerce College, on its visit, it was found that there were 17 labs in the old building of the college, but now there are only 4 labs in the new building. Because 2 or 3 labs are built in the classrooms and due to lack of space, the college management has to build microbiology and biochemistry labs in the same premises.
It was also revealed here that some other equipment of the lab including autoclave, incubator and oven remained in the previous building and could not be removed from there. According to the head of the department, due to these reasons, the microbiology lab has become inactive or closed, while the old students do not come here for so long, the books of related subjects in the same lab have been locked in boxes due to the absence of a seminar library.
On the occasion of the visit to the library, the in-charge said that in the old complex, the books were kept in 34 cupboards in the library, but only 9 cupboards could come here, the rest of the books are locked in the complex including the cupboards, this library was also built in a classroom. has happened
Moreover, a grand zoology museum in the previous complex is now in a corridor and only 6 of the museum’s 24 showcases have been placed in the corridor due to lack of space.
According to College Principal Prof. Naseem Haider, about 2500 students were admitted in Islamia Science College last year through e-cap, but this year only a little more than 200 were admitted, out of which only 100 were through e-cap.
Admissions to this college were opened to every student after the E-CAP, due to which “C, D and E Grade” students joined the A1 and A Grade students taking admission through the CAP.
A large number of old students after transfer of college do not come to college as it is more than 20 km away from their homes and old complex.
On the issue of long distance from the old college, the old students of Islamia Science College are of the opinion that our college is at a distance of more than 20 km from the old complex. .
The students said that if the government runs a shuttle service for us from the old college, then this problem will be solved. At present, only a few of us old students come to the college, but we also come here for practical because it is no longer possible to come to the college. The old facilities including the library are not the same as last year.