KARACHI, June 28: The senate of NED University of Engineering and Technology on Tuesday approved a recurring budget estimate of Rs405.381 million for 2005-06, with a deficit of Rs18.919 million.

The meeting was to be chaired by the Chancellor of the university and Governor of Sindh Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan. However, neither the Sindh governor nor the pro-chancellor of the university could attend the meeting and as such the Vice-Chancellor Abul Kalam presided over the meeting.

Besides considering the budgetary proposals the senate also approved some modifications or amendments in the varsity statutes. It also endorsed a resolution of the university syndicate, calling for retention of previous qualification criteria for the appointment of lecturers and assistant professors in the engineering disciplines.

In his annual report, the vice-chancellor said that the university had adhered to the practice of estimating some deficit at the beginning of each year but slowly working to eliminate that deficit by the end of the year.

Subsequently, attempts would be made to shrink total expenditures to the limits of available resources, he added, saying that concentration in 2005-06 would be on infrastructure and students facilities.

The VC apprised the members of the senate that at present as many as 4,733 students, including 4,013 those of the undergraduate programmes, were enrolled at the varsity, while 18 research scholars and faculty members were pursuing doctorate programmes either in the country or abroad.

The enrolment of students in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as projected for 2009-10 is 8,567 and 67 respectively.

According to the budget documents, estimates for research funds in the ensuing financial year amount to Rs31.372 million, while income from self finance schemes has been estimated at Rs19.200 million, which would be used for various development works.

Against the expenditures, the university anticipates a total receipt of 386.086 million, including a grant of Rs265 million from the Higher Education Commission.

Following the information that the Sindh governor had ordered for the inclusion of one nominee of the HEJ Foundation, which donated a 6,412 sq-yd campus to the university last year, in the university syndicate, the senate passed a resolution accordingly and requested the chancellor to issue an ordinance enabling the strength of the syndicate of the university to be increased.

The body also approved that the project director-in-chief of the university be allowed to sit as a member in the university syndicate, with no right to vote.

While considering amendments in clause 13 of the Employees Conduct Statutes, 1990, in regard to discourse of assets, immovable and liquid assets; the senate decided to exempt university employees in BPS-16 from furnishing information or declaration of assets.

Another amendment was also approved, under which whole time employees of the university, while fulfilling other service conditions, would also have to pay 30 per cent of their net earning from consultancy work to the university. The net earning is required to be disclosed by the employee and would be accounted for audit.

Talking to newsmen after the meeting, the vice-chancellor said that in the given circumstances the senate found that any change in the criteria of appointment of lecturers or assistant professors at the varsity would not be appropriate one.

According to him, the HEC had been insisting on the long term policy for assistant professors being PhDs and Masters’ degree for lecturers.

However, it would not be possible for the university to fulfil the requirement of the HEC for the time being and as such it would request again the HEC to not to lump together the general and professional universities together and deal with on the same basis, he added, saying that the Master’s degree in almost all general universities was still only 4 years after HSC; whereas in all professional universities, including the engineering universities, it was at least 6 years and sometimes 7 years after HSC.

Viewing that the HEC’s requirements in the case of minimum qualification of appointment of a lecturer or assistant professor is neither physically possible nor even academically correct, senate resolved that the HEC be informed by the university that the minimum requirements be retained as bachelor degrees (BE or BSc Engineering) and Masters degrees respectively.