UAF's 23rd Convocation: country put on right track of development: Punjab Governor

Punjab Governor Muhammad Rafique Rajwana on Wednesday said that under the dynamics leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the country has been put on the right track of development by strengthening national economy and improving the law and order situation. The energies and capabilities of the youth will be utilised to accelerate the process of development.
He was addressing at the 23rd Convocation of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF). He congratulated degree holders, their parents and teachers for the tremendous success. He urged the recipients of the degrees of students to pay back to deprived section of society who could not get the opportunities of education and training; they are also true stakeholders of the degree besides motherland and their parents.
He advised the students to serve the country with commitment, hardworking, honesty and zeal to their profession that will help the country get prosperity. He applauded the great contributions of this higher seat of learning UAF for the growth and development of the agriculture sector of Pakistan. He acknowledged the rankings status of UAF at international and national level. The Chancellor advised the students to give the credit of this achievement to their parents who really sacrificed and contributed for the achievement.
The governor sensitized the agricultural scientists to address the issue of seed and effect of low cotton production during 2015. He said that government was making the revolutionary steps for the uplift of agriculture sector but much need to be done. He hoped that the graduates of the agricultural scientists would open up new era of green and white revolutions. He said that the agriculture was the backbone of our economy and the majority of the population was associated with the sector.
Talking about the women, he said that the women get the education but don't go to the professional life, baring the country to get the fruit from the potential. He urged the women degree holders to utilise their education by joining the professional career.
He saluted the Pakistan Army to safeguard the country and bringing the normalcy back by defeating the terrorism. He said that sacrifices of martyred of Army Public School and Charsadda University would not go waste.
UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan in his address said that UAF was the only institution in the country ranked among the top 100 universities of the world. He said at the convocation, about 5000 graduates received their degrees and medals in various disciplines. He said in 2015, the UAF has produced 4890 degree holders including 153 PhDs; 667 MPhil/ MS; 2448 Master degree holders; and 1622 graduates which is the highest in the history of the UAF. He said that eight year ago , there were only 10,000 students which had now risen to 23000 including 45 percent women. He said that 30 percent of the UAF students were getting the scholarships as they belonged to the deprived segment of the society. He said that in the eight year, 42 new demand driven programmes had been added keeping in the view challenges of modern era. He said that government had funded the two hostels of 2000 women at the campus.
He said that UAF was enjoying the excellent relations with the world and running the different programmes. He said that USAID Funded Center for Advanced Studies in Food Security and Agriculture worth 30 million dollar had been set up at the campus. He said that the UAF had initiated the model of the cattle market. He said that the UAF had been working on the cotton and seed that will help the address the issue at national level. Controller Examination Dr Abdul Wahid conducted the session.