QUETTA, Dec 16: The federal government is launching an eight-year programme under which more than 5,000 meritorious students from Balochistan will be provided admissions to prestigious educational institutions in other three provinces of the country. An amount of Rs2.9 billion will be spent on the programme.

This was said by Special Secretary to Chief Minister Major (retd) Nadir Ali at a press conference here on Saturday.

The National Testing Service would conduct tests every year to select students for admissions to the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute, Karachi’s Agha Khan University, Lahore’s University of Management and Sciences, cadet colleges and technical institutes, said the official.

The federal government would bear the expenses of boarding, lodging and travel, besides providing all possible facilities to the students, he said.

As many as 5,309 students would benefit from the programme till 2015, he said, adding that quota for districts would be based on population.

He said three administrative units would be set up in the ministry of education, the education department and the directorate of education.

Major Nadir said that with the increase in Balochistan’s quota in federal services, vacancies of grade 19 and 20 in various federal government departments would be filled in directly from Balochistan. A procedure for appointments would be announced soon, he added.

He said the education department and the social welfare department of Balochistan would coordinate to devise a plan for implementation on President Mushararf’s recent announcement about provision of jobs to postgraduates against a monthly remuneration of Rs10,000.