About 6.3 billion world’s population rely on herbs for health care

KARACHI- “Foreign scientists at the 14th Asian Symposium have said that the WHO has estimated that over 6.3 billion people, about 88 per cent of the world’s population, rely on herbal and other natural medicines.

These resources are required the attention of the authorities concerned for their protection. Pakistan has made great efforts in the field of natural product chemistry, while this is a matter of concerns that the medicinal plants are depleting not only in Pakistan but also in other developing countries, they said.

The national and international scientists were speaking at the concluding ceremony of the 4-day 14th Asian Symposium on Medicinal Plants, Spices and Other Natural Products (ASOMPS), held at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), Karachi University (KU). As many as 600 national and foreign scientists and researchers, from UK, USA, Iran, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Australia, Belgium, Greece, Hungry, Germany, Mauritius, Nigeria, Uganda, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan etc have graced the symposium by their participation.

The four days of vigorous scientific program included plenary lectures, invited presentations and various session lectures. Along with this numbers of posters have also been presented by the young scholars. International organizers of this symposium, Prof. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim of Mauritius, Former Chairman Higher Education Commission Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, Director ICCBS Prof. Dr Iqbal Choudhary and other foreign scientists also spoke on the occasion.

Prof. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim of Mauritius presented “The Karachi Declaration”, recognizing that little of the traditional knowledge on the use of biological resources for medicinal and other purposes has been scientifically documented and being translated into commercially and internationally accepted products. She said that the developed is deprived of these resources but they are making billions of dollars annually by importing these plants from developing world for their commercial purpose. But, the developing countries are not able to use such wealth of natural resources, she maintained.

Prof. Atta-ur-Rahman said that science is considered a bound between scientists of the world; the south countries are required to use positively their natural resources for obtaining the required growth and advancement. He stressed the importance of linkages between academic and industry, and said that there is a need for sending experts from academia to industry so that the gape between academia and industry could be bridged.

Director ICCBS Prof. Dr Iqbal Choudhary said that there is a dire need to have more research on medicinal plants as various fatal diseases can be avoided by developing effective drugs by plants. Discoveries of more medicinal plants will accelerate the pace progress in the research side especially in this region, he maintained.

He pointed out that the attendance of hundreds of international scientists in this symposium shows the standing of the ICCBS Karachi University in the world of science.

Talking to media, Prof. I. P. Gerothanassis of Greece, Prof. Alain Krief of Belgium, Indian Professor B. N. Dhwan and other foreigners have said that Pakistanis are devoted and hospitable nation. They applauded the efforts of the administration of ICCBS towards organizing regularly these types of symposiums, seminars, conferences, workshops etc.

Meanwhile, Prof. Atta-ur-Rahman and Director ICCBS Prof. Dr Iqbal Choudhary distributed the certificates among the participants and position holders of the poster competition.

Bigg Boss 7: Sangram Changes The Game, Sends Tanisha To The Finale

Bigg Boss 7 house is seeing things turning upside down, rivals becoming friends, friends becoming rivals, and much more. Changing equations, changing relationships is a constant in the controversial house.

This week’s nominations are the most important ones, as they decide the fate of the housemates. And directly pushes the Bigg Boss 7 housemates extremely closer to victory. If our source can be believed, then Sangram Singh has just pushed Tanisha Mukerji to the finale.

Here is how it all unfolded:

The nominations for eviction this week are: Ajaz Khan (lost identity), Armaan Kohli (Mr. Abusive),Kushal Tandon (lover “puppet”), VJ Andy (entertainer) and last but not the least, Gauahar Khan(the original Miss Manipulative). Kushal voted Armaan and Tanisha, Gauahar voted Armaan and Tanisha, Ajaz voted Armaan and Tanisha, Armaan voted Ajaz and Kushal, Tanisha voted Ajaz and Kushal, Andy voted Ajaz and Kushal out. And Kamya Punjabi who was evicted yesterday, using her special power voted VJ Andy out.

However, Sangram was given a special power as the captain of the house. He had to save one housemate, and nominate the other. Whom do you think Sangram saved? VJ Andy? Nope! Now, that’s where is the game-changer move! Sangram saved Tanisha and nominated Gauahar instead.

This comes as a major blow to Gauahar Khan, who was very sure of sailing through the finals, and would escape nominations, but Bigg Boss 7 is all about expecting the unexpected, or even better: don’t expect! Gauahar Khan, who has been part of such a reality show earlier exactly knew how to manipulate each and every move, and using all her resources outside she played a double game – one inside the house, and other outside the house. She gave to Bigg Boss 7 all the necessary drama, be it her love-story, or the act of quitting the show in the middle and then returning, accepting a romantic proposal – she was clear from the word go what she had to do to gain maximum eyeballs, and footage.

Next weekend, December 22, 2013 will see one of them bid a final goodbye to the Bigg Boss 7house, thus ending his/her game of winning the finale. Also, as customary there would be another eviction either this week itself, or next week when a housemate is given a choice to walk out of the house voluntarily. The housemate would be offered money to do so. This season the booty is five lac Rs only, according to our source.

Generally, a contestant who is not sure of winning, even if he/she reaches the Finale bites into this bait! Bhakhtiyar had accepted the offer given by Bigg Boss in Season 3. The sum was ten lac Rs then. He opted out of the show on Day 79. In Season 6 a similar offer was made to the contestant, and the monies offered were twenty lac Rs, but no one took up the offer.

Sussanne, Hrithik Roshan Split: What’s The Truth?

Pre

It’s all over between Hrithik Roshan and wife Sussanne. They have decided to end their thirteen year old marriage. The couple has two sons: Hrehaan (born in 2006) and Hridhaan (born in 2008).

Businessofcinema.com was the first to report about this split, and then many speculations were going on. Many rumors were doing the rounds as well. But what is the truth? What exactly caused the split?

Hrithik Roshan’s statement read, “Sussanne has decided to separate from me and end our 17 year relationship. This is a very trying time for the entire family and I request the media and the people to grant us our privacy at this time. I do not wish this news to disempower my fans and the people about the institution of marriage in any way. I am a firm believer in this institution and respect and honor it at the highest level. And once again I thank my fans for all the concern and prayers for my health, my treatment is going well and I should be able to resume my life in every way very soon. Thank you.”

Sussanne too issued a statement, saying, “We are two individuals who respect and care for each other and have made our own individual choices. We are parents to two wonderful kids and our responsibility remains to protect and take care of them. Nothing can change that. Would appreciate if we are given our privacy in such a time.”

Here is the complete account of their journey till date:

Hrithik Roshan married Sussanne Khan, daughter of actor Sanjay Khan, on December 20, 2000, after dating her for four years. Their marriage had a lot of hiccups and drama even before it happened.

After Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, Hrithik signed Subhash Ghai’s Yaadein opposite Kareena Kapoor. The rumors of Hrithik and Kareena’s romance spread, and when Sanjay Khan got to know about this, he got Hrithik and Sussanne married.

The first major cracks were visible in 2009, during the shoot of the film Kites, which starred Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori in lead roles. Hrithik was very close with Barbara during Kites, which caused friction in his married life. Sussanne walked out of the Roshans’ home and returned to her parents in April 2009. What bothered Sussanne was Hrithik’s closeness and affection with Barbara’s family, especially his fondness for her brother Kintaro.

Hrithik tried his best to help Kintaro in his singing career, he even introduced Kintaro to various Bollywood biggies, and passed on his demo tapes to various music directors. But, things didn’t work out for Kintaro.

Later, Sussanne did return to Hrithik Roshan, but things were never the same post the rift, said sources close to the family.

Around this time, another rumor began doing the rounds. It was about Sussanne’s friendship withArjun Rampal. This has reportedly caused turbulences between Hrithik and Sussanne. Sussanne left the Roshans’ home in September 2013, and has been living in her father’s bungalow, the Sanjay Place in Juhu, Mumbai. This time seemingly for good.

Like any other father, Sanjay Khan tired a cover-up, and said, “Like any other normal couple, they also have some issues. Just because Hrithik is a superstar, doesn’t mean he will not have personal issues. They both are intelligent and wonderful people. It’s just that they need space. Of course, this is not a closure. They respect each other. To resolve issues, maybe this is what they thought was good.”

We tried to contact Arjun Rampal, but our calls were unanswered. However, he texted us, “This all is not cool at all. I am in Dubai

Quality professional education without any charges is possible in Pakistan

KARACHI - A group of 250 students trained as “ُPhysician’s Assistant “will be conferred BS degrees (Bachelor of Sciences) at the annual convocations of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) to be held at the Institution on Wednesday (December 18th).

The graduating students are those who have completed the three years professionals and academic program followed by one year internship which was imparted by SIUT.

In the year 2005 SIUT took the initiative of launching the academic program for producing “Phyician Assistant” with a philosophy to accommodate and academically rehabilitate those bright and aspiring students who had missed to secure berth in the medical colleges narrowly. Giving them relief and infusing a new vision and zest to carry on their higher academic pursuits in the field of medical sciences the SIUTs introduced the specialized academic program of physician assistant in the field of Urology, Nephrology, Transplantation, Intensive Care, Laboratory Sciences and Radiology. This initiative on the part of SIUT proved fruitful and highly productive as the graduated students filled the gaps of trained manpower in private and public hospitals. They also successfully gained employment in some prestigious hospitals within the country and abroad.

The most redeeming part of the entire academic program was that no economic burden was imposed on the students as SIUT as a laid down policy is totally opposed to commercialization of education as it feels that very some outstanding students fail to pursue their education due to high commercial cost of medical education.

The entire academics and training program at the school is managed, monitored and evaluated at the SIUT by its team of professionals ensuring high academic standards and merit based policy. In the year of 2008 the Higher Education Commission awarded the SIUT the status of degree awarding institution. Next year the Sindh Assembly declared the teaching wing as the Sindh Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS). So far the school has produced 106 male graduates and 146 females. A group of female students who received training in the field of nursing will also receive their certificates at the convocation on Wednesday.

Imbibed with the spirit and philosophy of the SIUT to serve the society at large without any commercial interest the graduating students are fully equipped to serve the ailing population with compassion and human approach.

CSS examinations: Wheels that run Pakistan coming to a halt

Alarming drop in CSS standards and results over the last decade. DESIGN: MUNIRA ABBAS

ISLAMABAD: 

Since colonial times, the civil service has retained the prestige that comes with joining the country’s bureaucratic machine, which is why thousands of Pakistanis apply to join the civil service every year.

Worryingly, however, the annual percentage of successful candidates who take the Central Superior Services (CSS) exam has been decreasing, according to the annual reports of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) from 2002 to 2013.

The passing percentage of the candidates in the written examination was 30% in 2002. In 2013 that figure has plummeted to a barely believable 2.09%.

According to the FPSC’s 2012 annual report given to Parliament last week, the government could only fill 240 out of a possible 285 positions that were open to candidates. There were not enough qualified and eligible candidates to fill out the remaining 45 positions, the report said. This is not new either. There were 66 vacancies after the 2010 CSS exam.

The annual reports from 2010 and 2011 compiled by the FPSC have been documenting the trend, but 2013 has hit a new low.

This year, a total number of 15,998 had applied for the CSS. Out of the 11,406 who actually gave the exam, only 238 passed the first phase. Out of total 238, 172 were male and 66 female.

Those who passed the written part of the examination will have to undergo further tests, including a medical examination, a psychological assessment and Viva Voce, an oral examination. An FPSC official predicted that many more candidates may still be disqualified after further tests.

According to the 2012 annual report, 13,071 candidates applied for the CSS exam while 9,063 appeared for it. Only 786 eventually qualified, with a lopsided gender divide, as 604 men qualified, and only 179 women.

Provincial Disparities

There are, of course, systemic reasons for the atrophying results. Provincial disparity, present in almost all human development indices in Pakistan including education, health and income, is also present in the CSS examination process. Over the years, candidates from Sindh, and Karachi in particular have been decreasing, leaving more and more positions vacant.

In 2010 and 2011, there were 35 and 21 unfilled positions from the Urban Sindh quota respectively, as fewer candidates apply for the exam, preferring potentially higher pay in the private sector.

With an already Punjab-heavy quota of 50%, a drop in candidates from Sindh carries a higher potential for disagreement between the provinces. Given that the civil service defines itself as “the wheels on which the engine of the state has to move,” lately it seems like the wheels are coming off.

In order to mitigate the crisis, the FPSC has been conducting a series of career counselling seminars, trying to raise the profile of the civil service, with the aim of increasing the number of applications. Rana Bhagwandas, chairman of the FPSC, hopes for a fresh education policy to complement the FPSC’s effort to broaden recruitment.

Essay writing

24%
passed
out of
9,062
candidates.

31 got
above
60%
marks

Problematic Academic Trends

Observations from 2011 highlighted problematic trends within the examination process, the most apparent of which is the low quality of writing – a factor that has affected performances in all subjects. That is most evident in the result for the essay writing exam: out of 9,062 candidates only 24% passed, out of which only 31 candidates got above 60%. But inferior writing skills have adversely affected results in all subjects.

Second, candidates’ inclination to rote-learn has also compromised their analytical skills, required for effectively every subject in the examination. Ready-made answers have hardly been adequate in answering questions that require serious inquiry, knowledge and analysis. Such exercise was particularly problematic in the South Asian History and Public Administration sections of the exam.

Lastly, English language skills have also been poor across the board, hampering candidates’ ability to answer questions effectively.

In Islamic Studies, the majority of candidates could not attempt the questions regarding Women and Islam, and had failed to adequately consider contemporary issues regarding the veil and secularism in society. According to the report, papers on Islamic history and culture were also mediocre, with only a superficial understanding of the subject demonstrated. The highest percentage attained in Part 1 was 60%. In Islamic jurisprudence, students simply could not grasp the questions being asked.

While students demonstrated greater diligence in their preparation for the International Relations section, the majority of the candidates could not achieve the required standard, the report said.

“Answers were neither proper nor precise,” the report said.

In 2012,

13,071 applied

9,063 appeared for the exam

786 qualified

604 men

179 women

In 2013,

15,998 applied

11,406 appeared for the exam

238 passed

172 male

66 female

In 2010:

66 vacant positions

In 2012:

45 vacant position

Messi not chosen as year's finest in Argentina

Leo Messi was outvoted by Juan Martín Del Potro as Argentina's sportsman of the year. "I am very happy to receive this honour. I have had a great year, much better than I expected", said del Potro, who was the winner of the 2009 US Open.

In 2013, Juan Martín del Potro won four ATP trophies. Messi won the Spanish league championship with Barcelona, and has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Franck Ribéry

Real shoots itself in the foot

'Tis the season for giving, but Osasuna, as ever, barely gave an inch at El Sadar, where Real Madrid relapsed after beginning to bury some of its demons as of late. Despite recent morale-boosting victories in Pamplona, yesterday's match adhered to the old script and the tension that made the fixture famous.

Real Madrid slipped up and was on the verge of slipping to defeat in a game defined by high intensity, poor build-up play and some highly debatable refereeing decisions. Equally questionable was Carlo Ancelotti's response to being reduced to ten men following Sergio Ramos' sending-off, at a time when draws feel like defeats for any of the title contenders.

On another day, Osasuna would have been jubilant after holding Real Madrid to a draw. This time around, however, it has been left ruing what could have been, having moved two goals to the good and been boosted when Ramos was sent for an early bath.

Real, which displayed sharpness and authority early on, lost its head as Osasuna forged ahead and in the face of the refereeing. It began to rush things, got the tempo wrong and fell apart. Ancelotti failed to remedy the situation either, not making any substitutions after Ramos' red card. Instead, he pushed Alonso back to centre-back and kept on all three forwards – Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale –, none of whom helped out defensively.