Twenty-six of the 34 government universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are in financial deficit, and the provincial higher education secretary has asked the federal government for an Rs18 billion grant to help them. In a letter to the chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the federal body that oversees and funds universities, the secretary said KP university funding has fallen short of what the institutions need.
What the letter says
The letter puts the combined deficit of the universities at Rs5.6 billion. It says about 2 lakh students enrolled in public universities are affected, and that families are facing a growing fee burden as the institutions struggle to meet costs. Rising salary and pension expenses have also become a steady pressure, the letter said.
The provincial government has raised its own grant for universities to Rs11.85 billion. According to the letter, that amount is not enough to end the financial difficulties, and it calls on the federal government to provide financial support.
Grants and the wider shortfall
The letter also says universities faced a shortfall of Rs18 billion in grants over the past 10 years. It adds that HEC's grant fell by 6.3 percent over the last three years. The Rs18 billion sought from the federal government is a separate figure from the Rs18 billion shortfall cited for the past decade.
What happens next
The letter asks the federal government to step in, but no response from the federal government or the HEC has been reported so far. Until a decision is made, the request remains pending and the pressures described in the letter continue.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ki 34 sarkari jamiaat mein se 26 mali khasaare mein hain. Sooba ke aala taleem ke secretary ne HEC ko khat likh kar 18 arab rupay ki federal grant maangi hai. Sooba ne apni grant 11 arab 85 crore rupay tak barha di hai, lekin khat ke mutabiq yeh kaafi nahin. Is se talabaa aur unke gharane par fees ka bojh barh raha hai.
