Policy to make universities self-sufficient under study: Senate body informed

The government is working on a commercial policy for universities to make them self-sufficient by generating their own resources. This was revealed during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology, which met with Mushtaq Ahmad Khan in the chair here on Thursday.

Higher Education Commission (HEC) informed that working is underway on a commercial policy of universities, which would help them in generating their own resources.

The policy would be approved from the cabinet and Foreign Ministry would be taken on board before the approval of the policy. The HEC is likely to approve the policy by the end of the current month.

The committee was briefed on the financial constraints faced by COMSATS and other universities as well as problems being faced by the administration and students due to shortage of funds, and on virtual campus regulations, besides a briefing by the Workers Welfare Board on non-clearance of Rs 500 million dues of COMSATS University.

The secretary Workers Welfare Board informed the committee that a breakup was taken from COMSATS University according to which the Board had to pay Rs 221 million. The federal government has given a cheque of Rs 1.8 million to the university.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has assured of giving Rs 63 million in a week.

Punjab province has stated that they have given tuition fee and the remaining amount is Rs 130 million, not Rs 500 million.

He further said that university has increase hostel and transport charges. Due to the absence of governing body for the last one year, unapproved payment could not be made. The governing body would be set up in the current month.

Rector COMSATS University said that 1,701 students of the workers welfare organization are getting free education.

Their transport and hostel charges are also being paid by the university, which are causing around Rs 267 million and up till now Rs 1.3 billion have been spent which resulted in loss for Lahore Campus.

These students are being enrolled from 2004-05.

Replying to the chairman committee's question, the body was informed when the university building was got on lease, it was included in the agreement.

Welfare Board officials said that some bills of the university have been paid while others are in process of being paid.

The rector informed that total strength of the university was 277 in 2,000 which at present is 36,000, while 66,000 students have already completed their education.

The institution has 8 research centers. The operating budget of the university was Rs 64 million, which has now been increased to Rs 8.3 billion.

Development budget has been increased from Rs 36 million to Rs 772 million. Development budget from HEC has been stopped since 2008 and after cut on the grants, they do not have funds to pay salaries from the next month, he said, adding about 80 percent budget goes into salary. After a cut of 11 percent, Rs 252 million budget was decreased, he further said.

Due to increase in inflation and salaries, a total of Rs 575 million difference occurred and resultantly one of the prime minister's schemes was closed and rural students suffered badly.

The scholarships to students were reduced from Rs 1 billion to Rs 700 million, he said.

The minister said that the government is trying not only to introduce reforms and bring improvement in research and education but also to generate their resources themselves.

The committee chairman said that universities' budget should not be decreased; otherwise they would also go on strike.

The committee recommended for immediate assistance to the universities.

The committee also expressed serious concerns over increase in use of drugs in universities.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019