Against the rules: UET Lahore dishes out Rs69m to fund employee scholarships

AGP cites violation of eligibility criteria, other violations.

ISLAMABAD:

The management of University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore was found to have doled out Rs68.7 million to fund scholarship expenses of 17 university employees in violation of Higher Education Commission (HEC) rules.

The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) found these irregularities in its recently-published report, which was presented before the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The report observed that UET violated HEC rules for scholarships granted to those who wish to study abroad.

Under the HEC criteria for MS and MPhil selection, scholarships in various science and humanities-related fields are open to full-time teachers at public sector universities who have received a first division grade in their MA, MSc, BEng or equivalent degrees.

The audit observed that the UET management had appointed lecturers on short-term contracts. The contracts were later extended and the lecturers were subsequently awarded scholarships.

According to UET rules, the university board may grant study leave to a permanently employed teacher who holds a research or administrative post and has completed at least three years of service.

Anyone appointed to a post in the cadre against a vacancy shall remain on probation for a period of two years, which may be extended by another year by the syndicate, according to the rules. The audit committee observed that some individuals were regularised without the completion of the minimum two-year probation period. These individuals were granted study leave despite having spent less than three years in service.

In addition, “The payment of tuition fees and living expenses is irregular and deviates from the rules,” the audit observed.

On the other hand, the UET management stated that during a meeting in 2005, the university’s syndicate had decided to regularise contracted lecturers so they could be shortlisted for scholarship selection. “Under university rules, teachers who have fewer than three years of service to their names are granted extraordinary leave without pay to pursue their MPhil and MS degrees,” read the reply.

The AGP remarked that the reply was not satisfactory, as the process by which the scholarships were awarded went against government rules. It recommended a probe into the irregularity.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2013.