PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, has announced enhancement of seed money for Chief Minister’s Education Endowment Fund (CMEEF) from Rs1.2 billion to Rs2.4 billion, and said that the provincial government will go all out to reduce tuition fee by half in all public sector higher education institutions from the next fiscal year.
To achieve this, efforts are being made to boost the province’s revenue through enhanced resource mobilization. Over the past nine months, the provincial government has achieved a 44% increase in provincial revenue.
He expressed these views while addressing scholarship distribution ceremony under the Chief Minister’s Education Endowment Fund at the Chief Minister’s House, Peshawar, on Tuesday. The event was attended by Provincial Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi, high ups of higher education department, students and their parents.
In his address, the Chief Minister said that, an endowment fund with Rs2 billion as seed money has been established to provide free education up to Grade 12 for girls and orphan children. “We will invest maximum resources in the education and future of our children to transform our youth into a true national asset,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister expressed his confidence in the youth, stating, “I believe our young people will make not only the province but also the nation proud on both national and international platforms, showcasing the positive image of Islam and Pakistan globally. The provincial government is fully committed to supporting them.”
He felicitated the students and their parents on achieving scholarships, saying, “I commend the hard work of students and their families on achieving these scholarships.”
On the occasion, the Chief Minister distributed scholarship certificates among 82 students. These fully-funded scholarships cover tuition fees, free accommodation, and food allowances. So far, under the CM Education Endowment Fund, scholarships worth Rs615 million have been awarded to 526 students, including 366 undergraduate and 150 graduate scholarships, enabling students to study at top notch educational institutions in Pakistan.
Additionally, 10 graduate scholarships have been granted to students for studies at international universities.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024