Headway on the programme of establishing E-Libraries in Punjab was reviewed in a meeting presided over by Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif here Thursday.
Addressing the meeting, the CM said the Punjab government was setting up state-of-the-art e-libraries in various cities of the province which would give contemplate study opportunities to residents in a conducive atmosphere that would also help to restore dying reading culture.
He said that foundation of e-libraries was of imperative significance for advancement of education so work ought to be sped up on the venture.
The Chief Minister directed to provide international newspapers in the e-libraries and in the wake of setting up 21 e-libraries, plan to be introduced to build up libraries in parks. Fabulous administration model to be selected to run these libraries, he added.
Advisor Dr Umer Saif while briefing about the project shared that digital books, novels, magazines and newspapers would be available in libraries where online publications would be upheld.
Provincial Minister Jahangir Khanzada, former MNA Hanif Abbasi, Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning & Development, Secretaries of Sports, Culture and Information and officials concerned attended the meeting.
The provincial higher education minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani said the role of private sector is equally important in education-promotion; adding that it has been given conducive atmosphere to grow and extend learning opportunities to students.
He was addressing the STEMinar-17, an intermediate students’ science exhibition of a Gulberg based private college on Thursday.
He commended the scientific understanding of the students, which they exhibited in the shape of models showing solutions to different problems. In his address, Raza Gillani vowed that improving standards of higher education is key concern of the government; and said that both public and private sectors can improve access to education of students. This would help improve literacy rate as well, he added.
He reiterated that the Punjab government is committed to improve the standard of higher education, as it is the backbone of the economy, and produces best professionals for different fields. He told that funds would be provided in the next budget for different development related schemes of public sector colleges. He asked the students to study hard and devotedly serve to their country, as service to the nation is the prime responsibility of every Pakistani.
He said the government is committed to improve and promote higher education and research culture in both public and private sectors as it would promote intellectual capital. He observed that education help increases students’ understanding of opportunities and scope for further advancement. It also empowers them with an ability to seize them, as education empowers an individual the capacity to keep learning.
“We live in a knowledge-based society which is driven by information technology.” An educated population can easily catch up and exploit the potential of emerging opportunities for progress and economic advancement in the globalised environment.
Higher education institutions, therefore, bear profound responsibility to advance awareness, knowledge and values needed to create a just and sustainable future.
Provincial schools education minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan said in his speech that revolutionary steps have been taken for improving the overall standards of schools education in the Punjab.
Source: http://pakobserver.net/21-e-libraries-to-be-set-up-in-punjab-shahbaz/
