ISLAMABAD: the Higher Education Commission (HEC) said on Wednesday that a special package of Rs285 million had been separately allocated for universities in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, over and above their normal allocation for the upcoming financial year 2020-21.

Also, the allocation for Fata University had been tripled, it added.

In view of funding inadequacy for the upcoming fiscal year, the HEC has requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to consider increasing its budgetary allocation.

The funding for all universities has been increased on the basis of their performance, as indicated by the number of research publications by their faculty members, the number and amounts of the research grants received, the bandwidth utilised for access to digital libraries and internet resources, the amount spent on conferences and professional travel, and the number of PhD faculty and PhD students, according to a statement issued by the HEC.

HEC triples funding for Fata university

The HEC said that due to paucity of funds it had decided that next year no new university would be added to its recurring grants stream.

Almost 20 newly established universities had approached the commission for next year’s funding.

The HEC has requested the federal government to allocate Rs104.789 billion as recurring grant for the financial year 2020-21.

The requirements included funds for universities as well as for pursuing the HEC research agenda.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2020