ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: Dr Attaur Rahman, the chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC), has requested governors of the four provinces to urgently adopt minimum standards for giving charters to universities and degree-awarding institutes.

Through a letter, he asked the governors to check the proliferation of third rate institutions in various provinces which call themselves “universities” but in reality were contributing little to the development of the higher education sector.

Minimum standards for giving charters to universities and degree awarding institutes has been laid down by the cabinet.

A large number of universities have been set up in the public sector in different provinces but most of these are of low level college standard with very few Ph.D level faculty members.

The universities granted charters previously, now, therefore, have four years time to either come up to the minimum criteria in terms of Ph.D level faculty members, land, buildings, laboratories, libraries and endowment and operational funds failing which their charters will be withdrawn.