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Despite strong opposition from all stakeholders in higher education in the country, the Federal Government has decided to amend the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Ordinance 2002. Following the proposed amendments to the HIC Order, 2002, its independence will cease.
According to reliable sources, the Legislation Cabinet Committee has asked the Federal Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs to receive their proposals in this regard for the completion of the law amendment project. It is then submitted to the Cabinet and later the National Assembly to formally become law.
Sources further stated that the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Association of Private Universities of Pakistan have already condemned the move saying that the said amendments not only limit the independent role of the institute but the proposed amendments violate the basic principles of the federation. reject
It should be noted that the main purpose of the establishment of the HIO was to provide a free space for education and to promote higher education as a regulatory body for better management of public and private universities and colleges. According to the commercial rules of 1973, the institution of higher education was a subordinate institution of the Ministry of Education. However, a task force created to improve the quality of higher education drafted the Higher Education Commission Resolution in 2002, recommending that the Higher Education Commission operate independently. It should not be controlled by the ministry. It was then that the Commission of Higher Education was given the status of a federal ministry and was directly subordinated to the Prime Minister, and a higher body was formed from all regions and the federation to lead the work of the Commission of Higher Education. in a better way.. He works closely with the higher education commission. Experts in the field of education from regions and high-level state and administrative bodies also participated in this high-level conference. It has been decided that the Prime Minister will appoint the chairman of the Higher Education Commission, the appointment of the executive director of the HOC and the appointment to other management positions will be carried out by the high-ranking body consisting of 18 people. The term of office of the chairman and executive director was set for four years.
Later in April 2021, the Tehreek-e-Insaf government made two amendments to the HEC Order, 2002. One of them was the dismissal of the chairman at the discretion of the government, the second amendment was to reduce the term of his appointment from four years to two years. Leaders of Muslim League (M) and PDP strongly opposed this arbitrary decision of the federal government, demanding the reinstatement of the 2002 HIC Order.
According to sources, the irony is that the revised HEC Order 2022 not only retains the 2021 reforms of the Tehreek Insaf government, but also proposes to end its autonomy and bring it directly under the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to sources, after this amendment, the prime minister will be the supervisory authority of the Higher Education Commission and he can delegate these powers to the federal education minister. According to this amendment, through the proposed amendment, it is also recommended to eliminate the representation of regions from the top body of the Higher Education Commission, which will then reduce its number from 18 to 10, which will form higher education in the regions. The power to make all decisions related to the federal government is directly acquired unilaterally. Based on the unsatisfactory performance of the chairman of the Higher Education Commission in the federal government, the Prime Minister or the federal minister of education can directly dismiss him from his position at any time, in the event that the commission members are appointed by the federal government. the government has been in office for four years and the appointment of the executive director is also a high authority. You can do it yourself instead of the forum. The proposed amendments do not mention the possibility of expanding the composition of the Higher Education Commission and its members.
The removal of provincial representation as a result of the changes to the Commission will also jeopardize its status as a national consensus body as the single regulatory body achieved at the Common Interest Council meeting in April 2021.
According to sources, the administration of the Higher Education Commission, the committee of vice-chancellors and the Association of Private Universities are also very worried about this decision of the government. Expressing concern, the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and the Association of Private Universities have demanded that no law be passed without consultation with stakeholders, including regional governments, public and private higher education institutions, HICs and their staff.
