HEC reviews formula for providing funds to varsities in the country

Funding for HEC will increase when alternative education institutions improve, say officials

ISLAMABAD: Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri has said that the HEC’s 18-member commission had held a meeting after a 32 months gap. During the meeting it was decided that the formula of providing funds to universities all over the country will be reviewed. Funds will not be released without the HEC’s approval.

On Friday, during a press conference, Banuri said that HEC funds have decreased in the last three years, so at the moment it is facing difficulties. The government has said that it will increase financial support when economic conditions get better. Alternative education institutions which are available instead of universities in every district should be improved.



I was called in the cabinet regarding new universities, said Banuri. It is the government’s responsibility to create universities and not the HEC’s. “HEC has five high profile cases of plagiarism; due to which the Prime Minister deployed commission’s members, I have no connection with it, and therefore there is no pressure on me,” he added.

Regarding decisions in the HEC’s meeting he said, “We will welcome foreign universities to work in Pakistan but they will be treated under the same law according to which we are working with the already existing universities. Similarly, we are devising a procedure regarding Pakistan universities functioning abroad.



Furthermore, HEC has created Pakistan Research Education Network for betterment in research. Formation of a policy to facilitate specially-abled people as much as possible in universities has been approved; because specially-abled people are also part our society. Moreover, A policy has been approved to make the process of documents verification easy. We welcome the country’s private sectors as well.

Private sectors should generate revenue by following our laws, as our laws are for the protection of the students. There will be no negotiation in laws for private sector. I will try to answer questions every month on HEC Web TV to solve issues faced by the students.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2018.