Bulk of Rs39.48bn HEC development budget earmarked for existing projects

ISLAMABAD: As the federal government has allocated Rs39.488 billion in development funding for the Higher Education Commission for the next fiscal year, ongoing projects will consume over 97 per cent of the funding, signaling a focus on meeting current commitments rather than expanding crucial support for cash-strapped public universities. Under the Public Sector Development Programme 2025-26, Rs38.488 billion will go to ongoing schemes, leaving a modest Rs1 billion for new projects, according to budget documents.

Among the ongoing projects, the largest chunk -- Rs3.67 billion -- has been earmarked for the Ph.D. Scholarship Programme under the Pak-US Knowledge Corridor (Phase I). Close behind is Rs2.3 billion for the Overseas Scholarship Programme for MS/M.Phil leading to Ph.D. in selected fields (Phase III).

Other key allocations include Rs 0.611 billion for establishing Kamyab Jawan Sports Academies and Youth Olympics under the HEC umbrella, and Rs 0.558 billion for the University of Baltistan in Skardu. An additional Rs 0.5 billion each is slated for the Allama Muhammad Iqbal 3,000 Scholarships for Afghan Students and the National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi.

Smaller allocations cover Rs0.25 billion for developing the main campus at Bacha Khan University, Charsadda, and Rs0.2 billion for constructing the Academic Block at Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad. The Fulbright Scholarship Support Programme HEC-USAID (Phase III) has also secured Rs0.1 billion, while the establishment of the Pak-Korea Nutrition Centre to boost child and community nutrition gets Rs0.8 billion.

Turning to new schemes, the government has allocated Rs0.15 billion each for the University Campus at Muzaffargarh and the University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences’s Pattoki campus.

Meanwhile, Rs0.1 billion has been earmarked for establishing a Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design campus in Karachi. Also, Rs0.05 billion is reserved for the Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarships for Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and other friendly countries. Also, the PSDP 2025-26 has Rs18.58 billion funding for the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training’s ongoing and new projects.

As per the budget documents, Rs18.28 billion is earmarked for existing projects, while Rs 0.3 billion will go for fresh initiatives by the education ministry. The highest allocation is Rs8 billion for the establishment of Daanish Schools in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan, while Rs4.3 billion will go to the Prime Minister Youth Skills Development Programme and Rs1.8 billion to the establishment of Daanish Schools in Kuri on the outskirts of Islamabad. A funding of Rs1 billion is slated for the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund overseen by the education ministry.

Also, the government has set aside Rs0.9 billion to enhance basic educational facilities in Islamabad’s public schools and colleges under the Federal Directorate of Education and Rs0.164 billion to award 1,600 scholarships to students from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir under the prime minister’s directives.

Regarding new initiatives, Rs0.1 billion has been reserved for each of three flagship institutions: the Centre of Excellence for Autism Children at H-11/4 Islamabad; Islamabad Model College for Girls (Prep-XII) in Multi Gardens B-17, and Islamabad Model College for Girls (Prep-XII) in F-17/2 at the Multi Professional Cooperative Housing Society.