Islamia College is a historical and prestigious educational institution which is now a full-fledged University. The institution offer courses in science and arts from intermediate level to BS, M. Phil and Doctoral programs. But some of its departments lack basic academic and research facilities which hinders students ‘pursuit for knowledge. Although this University has received a grant of Rs. 10 billion from the Higher Education Commission which was announced by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in December, 2015 yet its management did not spend a single penny to improve the research facilities.
The chemistry department is in shambles as the labs of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physical chemistry do not have state-of-art equipments besides the scarcity of essential chemicals. There is no bio-chemistry lab and the students are entirely at the mercy of government and private hospitals for the acquisition of data for their research work in BS, M.Phil and PhD programs. Three cheer to PTI government for enacting the MTI Act for teaching hospitals which has turned their administration into hydra headed monsters saying ‘Boo’ even to the Chief Minister and Health Minister of the province what to speak of the Health secretary and Director General Health department. Quite recently the building of OMICS lab has been constructed but the required machinery and equipments will reach when the present batch of biochemistry students would have completed their eight semesters. All the labs of the chemistry department are locked much before the closing hours of the university. The unbridled and accountable to none lab staff deny students’ access to the equipment in the labs and scold them if they insist for opening the doors of labs for research work. On the contrary, labs in Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering, science and technology, National University of Science and Technology and Quid-i-Azam University remain open till 11 P.M in the night to facilitate the research activities of the students. These Universities acquire international research journals of high impact factor and display it on the stands in each department for the benefit of the students. But in the chemistry department of Islamia College University examination date sheets, new notifications and even list of students for the distribution of laptops are not displayed on the notice boards. Multi media has now become part and parcel of academic activity but there is only one multimedia for all the branches of chemistry department which does not cater to the requirements of the students.
Attitude of the faculty members play a vital role in the dissemination of knowledge. The friendly attitude of the faculty encourage students’ quest for contemporary knowledge. But in Islamia college chemistry department the dictatorial response of faculty discourage the students yearning for knowledge and they hesitate to communicate with their professors. Will the Vice Chancellor look into the state of affairs of this department and restore the prestige and excellence of Islamia College University?
