The federal government has significantly reduced the budget for the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the fiscal year 2024-25. Originally set at Rs65 billion, the budget has now been slashed to Rs25 billion, and it will only be used for federal universities. This means that provincial public sector universities will have to find their own funding.
The HEC had originally asked for Rs126 billion to support more than 160 public universities across the country. In addition to cutting the recurrent budget, the Planning Commission also reduced the HEC’s development budget from Rs59 billion to Rs21 billion.
A letter from the Finance Ministry has instructed the provinces to arrange their own funding for universities. Dr. Mukhtar, the Chairman of the HEC, has confirmed receiving these letters and expressed his concerns about the negative effects this budget cut will have on universities. He stated that he plans to discuss this issue with the finance minister and the prime minister.
Dr. Mukhtar pointed out that the HEC’s budget was Rs65 billion in 2018, and it has now been reduced to Rs25 billion. This significant decrease in funding is expected to have serious implications for higher education in Pakistan, particularly for universities that rely heavily on government support to operate and maintain their academic programs.
The reduction in the budget could impact various aspects of university operations, including research, infrastructure development, and the quality of education provided to students. The HEC and university leaders are concerned that this decrease in funding will hinder the progress and development of higher education in the country, and they are urging the government to reconsider these budget cuts.
