ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directive that there should be no cut in the budget of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Monday brought a sigh of relief to vice chancellors (VCs) of public-sector universities.

Following reports that in the upcoming fiscal year 2022-23, the finance ministry would allocate only Rs30 billion to the HEC against its demand for Rs104 billion as the recurring grant, the prime minister on Monday took notice and directed that there should be no cut.

“There is no question of a cut in the budget of the Higher Education Commission. I am aware of the negative effect that cuts have had on higher education during the past four years. I have given clear directions to Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance in this regard,” the prime minister stated in a tweet.

Says aware of negative effect cuts have had on higher education in past four years

Commenting on the PM’s decision, Chairman of the VCs Committee Dr Mohammad Ali, who is the vice chancellor of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), said: “We welcome PM’s announcement. It is a positive development that the prime minister has taken notice of the issue.”

He said the VCs committee this week would hold a meeting with officials of the Planning Commission and finance ministry. He said the government should allocate Rs104 billion to the HEC as per its demand.

Dr Ali said the recurring grant was meant for salaries and pensions and there should be no justification for imposing a cut on it.

According to the HEC, the finance ministry had communicated the Indicative Budget Ceilings (IBC) of only Rs30 billion for the higher education’s recurring grant against the rationalised demand of Rs104.98 billion.

This would be 45pc less than the current year’s allocation of Rs66.25 billion.

After concerns by the VCs of public-sector universities, the HEC governing board (commission) had deplored the unprecedented and massive cut in the budget of the higher education sector.

At an online meeting of the commission, which was presided by HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri, who retired on Friday after completing his four-year tenure, criticised the government’s move of imposing a cut in the HEC’s recurring budget, stating that it would destroy the efforts made in the last two decades for bringing improvement to the education sector.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2022