The students are running from pillar to post to get updated information about the course being offered by the varsity as only outdated reference and textbooks are available in its library. Students of the varsity are facing immense hardships in the preparation of their examination due to the acute shortage of books at the libraries of the varsity's campuses. Sources said that only a few departments of FUUAST have revised their curriculum while students of many departments are being taught through old and outdated books.
Though the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) had given funds to the varsity to initiate a new publication in Urdu but the project still hasn't materialised. Sources inside the varsity said that the relevant department could not produce 50 books during the last nine years, adding that there was an acute shortage of Science books in the varsity.
" In 2005 HEC had issued a grant of Rs 35 million to FUUAST for the publication of new books in the national language." The department head told Business Recorder adding that the proposed plan was to produce eighty books in three years but that only 35 books were published till 2009.
He said that the administration should also develop a digital library in order to cater to the needs of the students. "Digital libraries are significant for the major public sector universities. The University of Karachi had also established a digital library with hundreds of books updated through software", he added.
He said that research work at the varsity had also come to halt with the absence of a research centre, adding that professors were not being encouraged to carryout research work. On the other hand the long-standing issue of appointment of a new Vice Chancellor still persisted after the President of Pakistan disqualified the recommendations of the search committee regarding the VC post.