SLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Friday that a new commission was being evolved at the federal level to maintain higher education standards in the country after the 18th Amendment.
Implementation Commission on 18th Amendment Chairman, Mian Raza Rabbani, said that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairman and 12 vice chancellors (VCs) of various universities were informed at the meeting of the commission that the role of the HEC would be different following the introduction of the 18th Amendment.

Rabbani said the delegation, headed by the HEC chairman, was told that their input would be incorporated while framing rules and regulations of the commission.

However, Rabbani said some people were giving a wrong impression that the ongoing scholarships programmes of the HEC would be affected by the devolution, thus creating a fear among the students who were availing the HEC scholarships.

“Let me clarify it yet again that those students who have been studying under the current HEC’s scholarships will be able to continue their studies,” he maintained.

Rabbani said that the HEC itself could not generate funds and the federal government provided funds for scholarships.

He also dispelled the impression that the HEC devolution plan would also affect foreign

funding to the commission. “Foreign loans are always released to a government that is to decide its executing agency or organisation,” he said.

Rabbani said that the devolution plan would not affect the standardisation of education and accreditation of degree. He added that the USAID had also clarified the funding issue and its scholarships programme. “The task of verification of degrees would also be entrusted to the new commission to be set up at the federal level,” he elaborated.

He also assured the Senate that the federal government would provide funds to the universities which were confronted with fiscal deficit.Daily times