HEC permanent chairperson | PMDC colleges
HEC still without permanent chairperson
Islamabad, Dec 17: Hundred days after the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairperson's
term ended, the appointment of a new permanent official to succeed him
remains pending. The HEC, policymaking institution in
higher sector of Pakistan, is working without a permanent chairman since
August 26, 2013 when the first four-year term of Dr Javaid Laghari
ended. Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani was appointed as acting chairman HEC
on November 9, 2013 till the appointment of permanent and full time
chairman HEC. As per HEC Act, all the key decisions
related to higher education has to be taken by the commission's board
which is headed by its chairman and the secretariat acts as the
executing wing of the commission which is responsible for implementation
of all the orders, decisions, directives of the board. The
education experts believe that delay in the appointment is badly
damaging the higher education sector as HEC chairman takes the key
decisions regarding the functioning of national universities and higher
education institutions. Some sources close to HEC
expressed the opinion that financial crisis in Balochistan and now the
independent reforms in higher education sector in KP are also the result
of this delay. Academicians are critical towards the
independent reforms as after 18th Amendment, the HEC remained the part
of federal government and universities around the country are regulated
by the HEC. Despite Supreme Court's direction to the
federal government for selection of regular Chairperson of Higher
Education Commission (HEC), the education circles still wait for the
announcement of the final name for permanent chairmanship. On
November 27, 2013, SC directed federal government to make appointment
of regular chairman of HEC within 15 days. The SC further remarked that
no acting appointment can be made on regular posts. A
three-member bench of SC led by Justice Nasir ul Mulk took up the case
of Law College for hearing on November 27, 2013. During the course of
hearing, the court was told that two names have been short listed for
appointment of chairman HEC and consultation process is underway in this
respect. The court expressed dissatisfaction over the
appointment of acting chairman HEC and remarked "this is a regular post
and neither any ad-hoc appointment can be made against this post nor an
acting chairman can be appointed." The academic circles have expressed
reservations on non-initiation of process for appointment of permanent
chairman HEC even after passing more than one month. Prof.
Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, renowned academician and President Pakistan Academy
of Sciences and founder chairperson HEC has already demanded for
earliest appointment of permanent and regular chairperson through a
competitive, transparent, open and merit based mechanism. He also
demanded that a highly educated and qualified academician may be
considered for this important slot. Though the chairperson
for Higher Education Commission in Pakistan, responsible for quality
assurance, faculty appointment criteria and evaluation of PhD programmes
for more than 140 universities of Pakistan, does not legally require
having PhD degree himself, most of the chiefs of University Grants
Commission UGC (1974-2002) and all chairmen of HEC (2002-2013) were the
eminent educationalists and researchers with highest education
qualification from leading foreign universities of the world. Similarly,
all the chiefs of the higher education regulatory bodies of south Asian
countries are distinguished academicians with highest qualification of
PhD. Most of these heads have contributed through their decade's long
research, teaching experience in higher education sector. Their
research work has been recognised and they have contributed a lot of
research articles in well reputed international impact factor research
journals. The appointed heads of University Grants
Commissions (UGC) Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and India are working on
full time and permanent basis and are recognised as well reputed and
highly qualified educationists worldwide. The chairperson
of the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka, Senior Professor of
Plant Sciences, Dr. Kshanika Hirimburegama holds a PhD degree from
Katholieke University Leuven, Belgium. Prof. Dr. A K Azad
Chowdhury, Chairman UGC Bangladesh holds PhD in Pharmacy from University
of Manchester, UK. Prof. Dr. Ved Prakash, Chairman UGC India, a
recipient of US Fulbright Post-Doctoral Fellowship, has held eminent
positions in a number of premier national and international
organisations dealing with higher education in particular. Prof. Dr.
Ganesh Man Gurung, Chairman UGC Nepal, is also eminent academician with
highest degree of PhD. In Pakistan, academicians,
parliamentarians and civil society circles have already demanded federal
government to appoint eminent academician with highest qualification as
full time and permanent chief of Higher Education Commission, the sole
higher education regulatory authority in Pakistan, through a
transparent, open, merit based competitive process.
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KP to have its own HEC but the move may go to SC
Islamabad:
The provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is formulating its
own body to regulate higher education, a move described by some experts
as violation of the constitution and an attempt to damage the federal
Higher Education Commission (HEC) which will be challenged in the
highest court. According to sources, the KP government
will table the bill for establishment of Higher Education Council to
"regulate improve and promote" higher education in the province in the
next session of the provincial assembly. Special Adviser
to Chief Minister KP on High Education Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani confirmed that the council, also abbreviated as HEC, is being established
in the province. "We have doubts regarding the existence
of federal HEC so we have decided to come up with a provincial body to
regulate higher education," Ghani said. However, eminent
educationist and former HEC Chairman Dr Atta-Ur-Rehman termed the move a
blatant violation of the constitution and the Supreme Court orders and
an attempt to destroy the commission. "I am alarmed to see
that the KP government bringing a law that essentially takes over the
functions of the Federal HEC and will hence contribute to the
destruction of the commission," he said. Dr Atta said he
will challenge the move in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Supreme
Court of Pakistan in its judgment on 12th April 2011, had declared the
attempted devolution of HEC to the provinces by the federal government
illegal, and had ordered that the Commission was fully protected under
the Constitution under the Federal Legislative Lists. These
include research, professional or technical training, planning and
coordination of scientific and technological research, legal, medical
and other professions, and standards in institutions for higher
education and research, scientific and technical institutions as well as
inter-provincial matters and co-ordination. These provisions of the
Constitution are directly applicable to the Higher Education Commission
(HEC) and they cannot be tampered with by formulating a new provincial
law that supersedes a previously existing Federal law. Dr
Atta said the provinces already have a strong voice in the functioning
of the HEC, since they are represented by a provincial secretary or his
nominee. The other experts that are nominated by the prime minister are
also carefully selected to reflect a provincial balance. The
Constitutional Reform Committee formed in connection with the 18th
Amendment to the Constitution had decided that the primary and education
issues could be dealt with by the provinces, but since issues relating
to higher education are concerned with national integration, cohesion
and national development, they must be dealt with at the federal level.
Higher education and research is a federal subject in all over the
world, including India, Korea, Turkey, China, UK and other countries for
this reason. However, according to draft bill, a copy of
which is available with The News, almost all the functions of HEC will
be taken over by the KP Higher Education Council headed by its chairman
appointed by the chief minister. The bill says the council
will "formulate policies, guiding principles and priorities for higher
education institutions" and it will also "prescribe conditions under
which institutions, including those that are not part of the provincial
educational system, may be opened and operated." The
council will also prescribe conditions under which universities and
higher education institutions may be opened and operated. It
will also register and recognise institutions including their
departments, faculties and disciplines and give them appropriate ratings
(through prescribed fee), for both degree awarding and affiliated
institutions of public and private sectors. The council
will also "advice government on proposals for granting a charter to
award degrees in both public and private sectors" It will
also review and examine the financial requirements of public sector
institutions; approve and provide funds to these institutions on the
basis of annual recurring needs as well as for development projects
based on specific proposals and performance. According to
Adviser to KP Chief Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, the HEC has failed to
provide proper funding to KP universities so the province needs its own
body to overcome financial problems. "Around 19 public
sector universities in KP are facing financial constraints and already
the provincial government is providing them with additional funding to
meet their urgent needs," he said. To a question, he said the purpose of
council is not to undermine HEC's role in verification of degrees
including those of parliamentarians. "The council will not assume the degree verification role until HEC is in existence," he said. But
the experts believe creation of provincial higher education bodies will
make it extremely difficult for the country to maintain uniform
standards of higher education. "We must have one
regulatory body on national level. What if the degrees of one province
attested by provincial HEC are not accepted by the other province? "
said an official of the commission requesting anonymity. He
said failure of federal government in appointing a permanent chairman
of HEC for last 100 days is another reason why provinces are resorting
to the extreme move of creating their own commissions and councils.
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PMDC for closure of three medical, dental colleges
Islamabad: The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council has recommended to the Health
Ministry to close Hashmat Medical & Dental College, Gujarat, Al-Razi
Medical College, Peshawar and Sahiwal Medical College, Sahiwal, says a
press release. This was decided in the PM&DC Executive Committee meeting held here. The
committee took this decision as these colleges did not meet the minimum
standards of PM&DC criteria for recognition of Medical Dental
Institutions. The committee also disapproved the Dental
Section of Bacha Khan Medical College, Mardan for recognition due to
lack of facilities and other deficiencies. Similarly, Federal Medical
& Dental College, Islamabad has also been directed to stop their
admissions due to lack of facilities and other deficiencies. While
discussing the issues of the students who are studying in Cuba, the
committee decided that they will have to appear in the PM&DC
National Examination Board Examination (NEB) in order to get registered
in Pakistan as medical dental practitioner. The Government of Sindh has
also been fined two lacs per student (first two batches) for opening of
Ghulam Mohammad Mehar Medical College without permission/notification by
the federal government. PM&DC President Professor Dr.
Masood Hameed said that if any medical/dental college opens without the
prior permission/approval of the federal government will be penalised
by the PM&DC.
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40th anniversary celebrationsof RMC to begin from December 17
Rawalpindi: Rawalpindi Medical College is organising an International Scientific Conference
along with as many as 26 pre-conference workshops in various disciplines
including medicine, surgery and allied specialties to celebrate its
40th anniversary from December 17 to December 21. The
conference and the pre-conference workshops would be attended by more
than 40 highly qualified specialist doctors from abroad as well
specialist doctors from twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The
Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the RMC International
Scientific Conference Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Fareed Aslam Minhas
informed on Saturday that the international scientific
conference would be held from December 20 to 21 while the pre-
conference workshops would be held from December 17 to 19. Through
pre-conference workshops, latest techniques would be taught to local
doctors. On December 20, a dinner will be organised by RMC to facilitate
guidance to students by the eminent doctors coming from abroad. The
event will culminate with Reunion Dinner on December 21 in the evening
followed by a social evening. Dr. Minhas said that the
theme of the international conference is 'Exploring the Scientific
Future' that connects the Rawalians of past and present in a scientific
endeavour for the future. The conference aims at uniting and converging
the diverse groups from 40 batches, from multiple disciplines and at
various stages of professional excellence to contribute to the
scientific future of RMC, he said. The faculty of the RMC
are organising the conference in collaboration with RMC Alumni
Association of North America (RMCAANA), Association of Physicians of
Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA), RMC Alumni UK, RMC Alumni
New Zealand, RMC Alumni Australia, RMC Alumni Canada and RMC Alumni UAE. Dr.
Minhas said that the conference shall include 26 pre-conference
workshops in the fields of medicine, surgery and allied specialties in
collaboration with international alumni. The present state of human
knowledge available across the globe is based on consultation and
creativity based on scientific research and exchange of thoughts and
ideas. Various workshops being conducted at the conference will provide a
unique opportunity to local consultants, postgraduate trainees and
students to learn and have experience of the latest techniques in the
medical field, he said. He said that the workshops are
being directed by international and national consultants who are experts
in their respective fields and boast extensive experience. It is a
landmark event in the history of RMC that such a vast number of
workshops in about all disciplines have been arranged. There will be
live demonstrations and hands on training. Participants will learn
recent advances, latest techniques and new trends and will have close
interaction with the international consultants. Dr. Minhas
added that from December 20 to 21, a core scientific meeting would be
held consisting of state of the art lectures, scientific sessions,
special sessions, inaugural and concluding sessions. The scientific
sessions would be chaired by esteemed professors who were the pioneers
in medical education and all specialties from across the nation. Each
session will consist of various guest lectures delivered by
international as well as local speakers with the aim to inform, promote
and globalize outstanding technological innovation, knowledge and
research of medicine. He said that the special sessions in
the program would serve to open the gateway and build a bridge between
the students of RMC (Young Rawalians) and International Rawalians in
USA, UK, Australia, Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world. The news
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