ISLAMABAD: The proposed amendments to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Ordinance 2002 seem to have perturbed vice chancellors (VCs) of public and private-sector universities.

According to the VCs, if these amendments are approved, the HEC’s autonomy would be badly compromised. They raised their concerns during a meeting held at the HEC Secretariat on Monday.

The meeting of public-sector universities’ VCs discussed two agenda items: proposed amendments to the HEC Ordinance and Public Account and Payment Procedure 2022.

The vice chancellors of private universities only discussed amendments to the HEC Ordinance.

“VCs and rectors of all public and private-sector universities have shown serious concern on proposed amendments in the HEC Ordinance as well as the Public Account and Payment Procedure, 2022,” said an official statement issued by the HEC after the said meetings.

It said that the VCs emphasised that the HEC and universities have worked hard for the progress of Pakistan’s education sector and all these steps would prove to be detrimental to the progress that the higher education sector had made during the last two decades.

The meeting of VCs of public-sector universities also elected Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, who is vice chancellor of University of Agriculture Faisalabad, as the new head of the VC Committee for the next two years.

He was elected in place of former Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Ali, who completed his tenure as QAU VC last month. As a result, he was no longer the head of the VC committee.

The meetings were also attended by HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed and Executive Director Dr Shaista Sohail. Under the new proposed amendments, that were proposed by the education ministry, the controlling authority of the HEC would remain with the prime minister, however, he can delegate his powers to the education minister. Similarly, as per the proposed amendments, the status of federal minister to the HEC chairman should be abolished.

Whereas, the new proposal stated that the commission may, with the prior approval of the ministry concerned, make rules for carrying out purposes of the HEC Ordinance while the HEC will be required to get tasks from the ministry and submit its annual performance report to the ministry/division concerned.

The statement issued by the HEC said that forums unanimously opposed the proposed amendments and demanded that the government strengthen the autonomous status of the HEC for better progress.

VCs noted that the proposed amendments to the HEC Ordinance like delegation of powers of the controlling authority from the prime minister to the education ministry, and drastic revision in composition and reduction in size of the commission eliminating representation of the provinces, authority of the commission and so on will compromise the basic mission for which HEC was founded.

When contacted, newly-elected head of the VCs Committee Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan told Dawn that the vice chancellors showed concern over the newly proposed amendments as the HEC’s autonomy would be compromised. “We are going to take up both issues with the government and request them to reverse them,” he said.

According to a statement, VCs during the meeting, said deposit of self-generated revenue at SBP would further reduce the financial control of universities over their own funds and will bring university operations to a standstill.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2022