The conversion of Prime Minister’s House into a university coupled with the intention of Punjab government to establish more universities at Mianwali, Bhakkar and Chakwal have become a laughing stock in academic circles. It is pertinent to mention that there are various public-sector universities such as Sahiwal, Okara, Jhang and Narowal, which are already in the process of making yet unable to get allocated funding for their completion for the last couple of years. In addition, several old universities have been confronting with financial crises owing to cessation of their due funding by the government. Furthermore, about eight newly made universities in Punjab do not have proper buildings and have not been provided funds to construct their campuses. Such deplorable situation is adding fuel to the fire as no heed is being paid to solve this acute problem. The more alarming is that about a dozen of universities of Punjab including LCWU, Narowal University, UET Lahore, Women University Sialkot, Women University Faisalabad, UET Taxila, BZU Multan, Women University Multan and ITU Lahore are without regular Vice Chancellors.
The incumbent government came into power with the slogan to give top priority to ‘human development’. Aiming to improve the condition of education and health, it promised to move heaven and earth. However, to everyone’s surprise, the government slashed the funding of education and health in its maiden budget. As a result, funding for development of Higher Education plummeted from Rs.18 billion to just Rs.5 billion which reflects its seriousness towards this issue. Another matter of concern is the vacant post of Chairman, Punjab Higher Education Commission who heads the public-sector universities of Punjab. The Higher Education Department which is responsible to monitor and regulate the matters of universities is itself in shambles, as it is yet to have a permanent secretary. It is on record that since 2013, sixteen secretaries have been posted to HED and only one has exception to complete one year in the office. It is interesting to note that in year 2013 and year 2015, six and five secretaries were replaced respectively. What more startling is that in the last three months, three secretaries were placed to this challenging department. Thus functionality and efficiency of the department is in doldrums when operating and monitoring heads are appointed for such a short span of time. As a result, piles of the important files of almost all universities lick the dust as no heed is paid for their disposal. Consequently, universities have been struggling with administrative and academic matters. What more can someone expect from the government when such grave issues pertaining to higher education stand unresolved even after ‘three months’.
Thus, it is time for government to relinquish pre-election rhetoric and do necessary policy-making about higher education. For that matter, timely appointment of VCs is indispensable which has remained a persistent issue of most universities. In order to avoid administrative malfunction in universities, the process of VCs appointment should be started well before the expiry of the term of incumbents. History is a witness that every government wishes to place its favourite people in the selection committees of VCs, which is indeed a condemnable approach. Therefore, selection committee for VCs should be consisted of professionals and relevant people from public-sector universities. Recently, government has notified six working groups for higher education sector and amazingly all are headed by professors of a private university. Instead of giving special roles and assignments to the people of private sector in the matters pertaining to pubic-sector higher education, distinguished people from public sector universities should be incorporated. Needless to say, people from private sector do not have the first-hand experience and required knowledge of public sector, and hence not in a position to apprehend its problems and requirements. If government is serious then at first hand, it should give attention and extend support to the existing universities to adress their problems and release their allocated funds to enable them to overcome their financial crises. Similarly, the outstanding funds should also be provided to the new univerities which are in the process of making. Instead of slashing budget of higher education it should be enhanced. There is another matter a concern that people at the helm of affairs are not interested to apprehend benefits of autonomy for universities which indeed ushers their quality and performance. On the contrary, they are more prone to squeeze functional powers of these seats of learning. Similarly, charters, rules and regulations of the universities have also been designed to curtail their autonomy which reflect that mindset. If we wish to improve standard and reputation of our universities then their autonomy should be ensured and for that matter of their charters, rules and regulations should be revisited and improved without any further delay. The government should learn lessons from ill-planned and mushroom growth of private universities where numerous cases of illegal degrees and malpractices unearthed in past which has put a stigma to our higher education. So, just making of new universities will be counter productive. Nevertheless, existing universities should be given proper funding and support to function efficiently. And higher education should be kept away from empty slogans because it is a serious matter and should be dealt seriously with proper planning and a clear vision otherwise its standard would be further deteriorated.
Published in Daily Times, January 17th 2019.
