ISLAMABAD, Nov 12 (APP):President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday asked Higher Education Commission (HEC) to take special measures including waiver in tuition fees, transportation facility inside educational institutions and age relaxation to facilitate differently-abled students.
The President also urged the HEC to formulate anti-drug policy for higher education institutions by next March to save students from the menace of narcotics and provide them a healthy learning environment.
The President issued these directives while chairing a meeting of the Committee on Drug Abuse and Welfare of Differently-abled-Students.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training (FE&PT) Shafqat Mehmood, Minister for Narcotics Control Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari, Secretary FE&PT Farah Hamid Khan, Secretary Narcotics Control Shoaib Dastgir, Chairman HEC Dr. Tariq Banuri and DG Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Major General Muhammad Arif Malik.
The meeting discussed proposals to eradicate the menace of drugs from educational institutions.
The vice chancellors of various universities of the country gave their respective proposals via video-link to contain drug abuse in universities.
The meeting emphasized the need to raise awareness among youth by engaging social workers, media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society.
It also underlined the need for closer collaboration among stakeholders, particularly the Education ministry, ANF and law-enforcements agencies to protect the educational institutions from drug abuse.
