The Karachi University is one of the oldest and the best universities in Pakistan. But the repair and maintenance of this mother institution is in its worst condition.
Furniture and class rooms look like an old store. They need repair and paint. Walls are dirty and full of spider webs. Students have to clean the chairs and desks before sitting on them. Washrooms are never cleaned. It is impossible to walk through corridors where there are washrooms due to bad smell.
It will not be out of place to mention here that evening classes are run on self-finance basis. Students pay a reasonable fee in each semester to share the cost with the university.
The amount used on education is not a waste of money, it is an investment for tomorrow.
I propose that if the government is facing financial problem, a maintenance fund can be established and a fee of Rs 50 per month per student can be imposed. There are 25,000 students in the university. A sum of Rs 1,250,000 can be collected this way. It will be a reasonable amount to bear these expenses. As students, we have conducted a survey and 90 percent students agreed to contribute for this cause.
Some of the students agreed to donate extra amount of money but with the condition that the contract should be awarded to an outside contractor. It is further proposed that once a month a cleaning day should be celebrated.
SAMRA ZIA
Karachi
