• Minister Rahu says draft bill sent to charter evaluation body for review
• Inaugurates e-marking, digital examination system for Sindh boards

KARACHI: Despite serious reservations by teachers’ bodies, political parties and other stakeholders, the Sindh government is moving ahead with its plan to separate the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) from Karachi University (KU) as Minister for Universities and Boards Ismail Rahu disclosed that a draft bill regarding the matter has been forwarded to the Charter Inspection Committee.

Sindh Higher Education Commission’s Charter Inspection and Evaluation Committee advises the government on proposals for granting a charter to award degrees in both public and private sector institutions. However, the minister told reporters that teachers, staff, donors and all other stakeholders would be taken into confidence before any step is finalised.

He was speaking at a meeting of the Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) at a local hotel to inaugurate Sindh’s new e-marking and digital examination system on Tuesday.

Mr Rahu said that the government is not planning to “split KU”, adding on the contrary that a draft bill has been forwarded to the said inspection committee to grant ICCBS the powers to independently award degrees.

It may be mentioned that in recent weeks, teachers’ bodies, political parties and other stakeholders have raised concerns over a government plan to detach ICCBS from KU. Teachers and other stakeholders had maintained that the move would prove harmful to the quality of research, besides hindering students’ access to the ICCBS, as the institute could become very expensive if privatised.

E-marking system launched for Sindh boards

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rahu also said that the federal government has handed over all e-marking softwares to the Sindh government’s educational boards, marking the formal beginning of a new phase of examination digitalisation in the province.

The inauguration ceremony of the e-marking and digitalisation project was held under the IBCC. It was attended by Secretary for Universities and Educational Boards Muhammad Abbas Baloch, Faqeer Muhammad Lakho, as well as chairpersons of all educational boards across the province and representatives of federal boards.

Mr Rahu stated that annual examinations for grades IX and XI across Sindh will now be conducted through e-marking, ensuring transparency, quality, and timely results in the examination system.

He added that a system is being developed in which complete transparency will be maintained from the preparation of question papers to the conduct of examinations, making it possible to eliminate issues such as paper leaks.

He further said that under the current traditional system, there are delays in preparing results, whereas through e-marking this stage will not only become faster but also error-free. He shared that some boards in Sindh have already begun limited e-marking of certain papers.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2025