THE Federal Urdu University of Arts Science and Technology (Fuuast) is a government-run institute in Karachi, a mega city with a population of 22 million.

The students enrolled in the university largely hail mostly from the poor and lower middle class.

They now face a quandary because the university administration has insisted on increasing the fees and other charges every year, contrary to the practise in other public sector universities.

A graduate student was paying approximately Rs2,500 a semester a year ago.

The current fee is Rs7,000 per semester, which is almost a threefold increase in less than 12 months.

This alarming increase is forcing poor students to abandon their quest for higher education.

Our policy makers should remember that nations that do not give top priority to education seldom prosper and rarely progress.

The government is requested to reduce the fees in Fuuast, so that students are able to complete their studies.

Arif Hussain

Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2015

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