The public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) continue to face severe financial difficulties, with no end in sight.
According to a report, as many as 20 public sector universities are on the verge of closure due to the financial crunch. The report added that their losses and liabilities have exceeded Rs.7 billion.
According to the Higher Education Department (HED), 29 universities in the province were established without any prior planning, with four universities in Swat alone.
Furthermore, there have also been disputes over the distribution of resources among universities. The report also highlighted the lack of Vice Chancellors in various universities.
Since March 2023, twelve universities are without permanent VCs while 8 institutes are being run by the Pro-VCs. Additionally, 8 more VCs will complete their term later this year.
Moreover, the salaries of employees of several universities have also been halted. Administrative operations have been suspended at Women University Swabi, Lucky Marwat, Khushal Khan University, Karak, and Agriculture University DI Khan.
The HED report added that universities have introduced BS programmes after private B.A and M.A were abolished. Furthermore, universities have leased their properties below the market prices. The report highlights the failure of the institutes in utilizing their agricultural land.
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The universities have been established on political rather than academic considerations, followed by overstaffing without any merit. Instead political and corrupt pravtices have remained overriding considerationas. In the process status of the vice chancellors has been down graded to that of school head masters. If the practice of proliferation of the universities continues unabated, very soon we should be talking ghost universities on the analogy of ghost schools.
Strengthening of the existing universities should have been a prudent option, rather than unthoughtfully prolificating and propagating new universities at district level. Alas, establishment of one world class university should have been the best option!