Seeks report from HEC: NA body takes notice of nepotism in public sector universities

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training on Tuesday took strict notice of financial, managerial issues, and political, nepotism-based inductions in public-sector universities.

The committee meeting was held at the Pakistan National Council of Arts under the chairmanship of Najeebuddin Awaisi.

The committee decided to seek a detailed report from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) regarding the exact number of employees at each public-sector higher educational institute.

Parliamentary Secretary for Federal Education Wajiha Akram said the inductions in the universities had been made against the set rules and regulation of the HEC.

In the past, she said, new inductions were made in the universities on political basis and through nepotism.

She called for accountability of the universities besides providing them autonomy. The committee on the suggestions of its members constituted a sub-committee on the issue, and directed to present a detailed report in the next meeting.

Briefing the committee on the proposed budget of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) for the years 2020-2021, FDE Acting Director General Umair Javed said that the PC-I was being prepared for the renovation of old ones and establishment of new buildings of 175 schools.

He said that remaining schools would be renovated and upgraded in the next Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

Javed said that 1,600 scholarships would be reserved for students admitted to the FDE schools and colleges.

Around 200 classrooms would be linked with e-learning system, he said, adding that technology would also be purchased for smart classrooms through open tendering. Representatives from the Education Ministry told the committee that under an agreement, all madaris (seminaries) would be registered with the Ministry of Education.

They said that during the first three years, around 2,500 madaris would teach formal education to their children from class eight to 12.

The government would pay Rs 17,000 as honorarium to two teachers that would teach formal education in these madaris, they added. The committee was also briefed that all educational boards of the country would be modernised and standardised to one level.

The Education Ministry also proposed Rs 106 million budget for the education of prisoners. Andleeb Abbas lauded the initiative and directed the ministry to provide data about the number of prisoners that could be imparted education. The committee deferred the agenda item regarding the comprehensive report of the previous recommendations of the committee for its next meeting.

Syed Fakhar Imam, MNA and mover of the bills, also requested the committee to defer his bills due to engagement in the cabinet meeting. The committee deferred the bills placed at agenda item no. iii to vii for the next meeting.

The committee also reconstituted the sub-committee comprising the convener, Ali Nawaz Awan, and members, Mehnaz Akber Aziz, Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak, and Sadaqat Ali Khan Abbasi, on the TORs; examining issues being faced by FDE, Islamabad, and to suggest proposals/remedies; and sub-committee finalising its report within 30 days.

Members/MNAs Sadaqat Ali, Javaria Zafar, Umar Aslam, Nafeesa Inayatullah, Mehnaz Akber Aziz, Kiran Imran, Abid Hussain, Mussarat Rafiq, Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam, Andleeb Abbas, Ghazala Saifi, Tashfeen Safdar, Asma Qadeer, Chaudhry Muhammad Hamid, Asmatullah and Mian Najeebud Din Awaisi, MNA/chairman of the standing committee attended the meeting.