26 K-P universities face Rs5.6b deficit

PESHAWAR: As many as 26 of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's 34 public universities are facing severe financial difficulties, with their cumulative deficit reaching Rs5.6 billion, prompting the provincial Higher Education Department to seek a special grant of Rs18 billion from the federal government. According to an official letter sent by the provincial Secretary of Higher Education to the chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the financial crisis facing public-sector universities is also affecting the province's higher education system. The letter states that nearly 200,000 students are being affected by the financial difficulties confronting the universities. The situation has further worsened due to a 6.3 per cent decline in HEC grants to the institutions over the past three years. The provincial Higher Education Department has urged the federal government and the HEC to provide a special grant of Rs18 billion to help public universities overcome their financial difficulties and ensure the continuity of academic activities. The department has also proposed making student enrolment a key criterion for the allocation of grants, arguing that universities with larger student populations should receive financial resources in proportion to their needs.