ISLAMABAD, May 21: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has asked the provincial governments to strictly follow the criteria before granting charter to degree-awarding institutions, official sources told Dawn. The decision to this effect has been taken in a recently held vice-chancellors’ meeting at the HEC, the sources said. The meeting also decided to include one nominee of the HEC on the provincial charter recommendation committee.

The meeting also discussed coordination between provincial governments and the HEC to check the proliferation of low-quality universities, the source said.

Vice-chancellors, representing all major public sector universities, also decided that the new universities and degree- awarding institutes should be established in the public sector, only after the approval of the PC-I, with clear mentioning of the development funds required for their establishment as well as recurring funds.

It is worth mentioning here that during the last decade, scores of degree-awarding institutions were set up in both private and public sectors without meeting the criteria.

As per the criteria, a degree-awarding institution needs to have a certain level of infrastructural development with qualified faculty.

In case of recently-established universities and degree- awarding institutions in the public sector, the provinces will submit PC-1s within a reasonable time frame. Additional development/recurring grants will be given only after this procedure has been followed, the sources said.

The meeting also decided that the Model University Ordinance should be followed with minor modifications, if necessary, for grant of charter to all new universities established in public and private sectors.

All universities and degree-awarding institutions established so far have been granted a grace period till February 26, 2007 to meet the minimum eligibility criterion approved by the cabinet in 2002.

The federal cabinet had asked both public and private sector universities to the fulfil the prerequisites before the deadline or face relegation of their status to that of affiliated colleges.