PAKISTAN: Higher Education Commission budget slashed

After a massive budget cut, Pakistan's Higher Education Commission is looking for alternative income sources to run its projects, reports The News.

The budget approved in a National Economic Council meeting on 28 May was only Rs15.8 billion (US$0.2 billion) for 2010-2011 against Rs18.5 billion proposed and approved by Annual Plan Coordination Committee. The commission had requested a 30% increase in the budget, but was turned down.

This has left the commission with no option but to find ways of generating income and to reconsider various big projects, Executive Director Dr Sohail Naqvi told The News. "What we need to do is to stand on our feet and look into the possible ways of income generation and fundraising. The best available option in front of us is to rationalise the fee structure in universities while protecting the students who are unable to pay big fees," he said.
Full report on The News site