ISLAMABAD, June 29: The syndicate of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) on Saturday approved Rs57.57 million deficit budget for the year 2003-04. The deficit would be met through government grants and university’s own resources, sources told Dawn.
The total income of the university has been estimated at Rs238.041 million with zero opening balance. The federal government under its annual grant, will provide Rs157.5 million to the university. The QAU will generate Rs79 million, through its own resources and Rs1 million through transfer from profit on research endowment fund.
It is pertinent to mention that the government has not committed any special grant for research promotion in the QAU for 2003-04 in the federal budget. However, a representative of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), who was also attending the syndicate meeting, pledged that the Commission would provide a special grant for research activities in the Capital’s premier and oldest institution.
It was also observed during the meeting that after the allocation of a special grant for research by the HEC, the QAU administration would be bound to provide an amount equivalent to the one to be pledged by the commission.
When one of the syndicate members inquired about the expected amount the HEC would give to the QAU, he said it was yet not clear and would be decided later on.
On the other hand, the university has estimated an amount of Rs295.616 million as its expenditures which shows a clear deficit of Rs57.57 million for the financial year 2003-04.
The major chunk of the budget will be consumed under the head of Pay and Allowances (Rs202.53) million) followed by other charges (Rs79.66 million) that include utility bills etc.
The university has also earmarked Rs1 million from its own resources as the federal government has not provided any grant for research activities.
The university under its estimated expenditures will provide Rs0.5 million as financial support to the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, whereas in this year’s budget no money has been fixed for the QAU’s share towards the National Centre for Physics.
Similarly, no budget has been allocated for the university’s Research Endowment Fund, which official sources said, was criticized during the syndicate meeting on Saturday.
Under the heading of C.P Fund/Pension, the university has reserved Rs11.92 million while this year conveyance advances will receive no money.
Out of the total estimated expenditure, the university will spend Rs21.5 million on development and upgradation of computer sciences department to the Institute of Information Technology.
The expenditures for IT promotion in the QAU will be met through government grant (Rs16.17 million) with Rs5.3 million as opening balance.
An amount of Rs11.71 million will be used for the construction of staff residences. However, neither any amount has been allocated for the purchase of scientific and health care equipment, furniture, books and journals for library nor for fellowships for MPhil and PhD programmes.
The syndicate also agreed in principal to increase medical allowance from the existing Rs800 to Rs1,100 for married employees and Rs400 to Rs500 for unmarried servants.
Similarly, the body also decided to increase the honorarium for supervisors of research students of MPhil and PhD programmes from Rs5,000 to Rs6,000 and Rs30,000 to Rs40,000, respectively.
Talking to Dawn a senior faculty member of the QAU on condition of anonymity said this showed how much importance the federal government gave to the public-sector educational institutions.
“If a university like the QAU, which is considered the best government-run university in the country, is severely pressed for cash then one can well imagine the economic state of affairs of other universities, especially regional universities,” he added.
Answering a question, he said if the same situation continued to prevail in the public-sector universities, quality teachers would prefer private-sector universities that offered an enabling research atmosphere as well as heavy salary package.