HEC calls meeting on budget cut

KARACHI: The Higher Education Commission has approached three key federal ministers to seek their support for the HEC's recent proposal not to cut the budget for higher education.

In this regard, a meeting of the Vice Chancellors Committee has been called today (Thursday). The minister for Finance, the minister for Federal Education and Professional Training and the minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives will attend the meeting.

The meeting will also be attended by vice chancellors of all public sector universities across the country. The Higher Education Commission’s recurring budget is being slashed to Rs 30 billion for the financial year 2022-23 from the current annual budget of Rs 65.250 billion.

According to reliable sources, the actual demand of the recurring budget is one hundred and four billion rupees to cater to the needs of 141 recognised public sector universities with 84 sub-campuses across Pakistan. All these public universities are mostly dependent on the HEC funding for the recurring budget which covers salaries, pensions and other non-development expenditure.