Rumours regarding ban on co-education fake: Punjab minister

• DPI Punjab says there was no condition of submitting an affidavit of “no co-education”. 
• Earlier, it was widely reported Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) had imposed a ban on “co-education” in private colleges.
• Sources in the HED and DPI Colleges say that the 2010 checklist did have the condition but it was not implemented in letter and spirit.

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LAHORE: Following severe criticism on social media, the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) (Colleges) Punjab clarified on Thursday that there is no such condition of submitting a “no co-education” affidavit for private colleges to launch different academic programmes. 

Earlier, it was widely reported that Punjab's Higher Education Department (HED) had imposed a ban on “co-education” in private colleges of the province and guidelines in this regard had also been published on its website.

However, there was no new notification about the ban on co-education in private colleges. But, a checklist of DPI Colleges, an attached department of the HED Punjab, had a clause under which private colleges were required to submit an affidavit of “no co-education” for registration to start intermediate, associate degree and postgraduate programmes. 

Sources in the HED and DPI Colleges shared that the 2010 checklist did have such a condition but it was not implemented in "letter and spirit".

"Higher Education Department has not issued any notification about co-education in colleges. Please stop spreading fake news on media," Punjab Higher Education Minister Raja Yassir Humayun Sarfraz said in a tweet.

Talking to The News, DPI Colleges Dr Ashiq Hussain said that a fresh checklist has been prepared to remove the confusion. 

He said a notification had also been issued in this regard. Hussain said that a new updated proforma was available on the HED website.