The federal government has decided to formally end the autonomy of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and bring it under the Ministry of Education.
According to sources, the federal cabinet has approved the ordinance related to HEC.
All decisions of the HEC will be subject to the approval of the Ministry of Education, sources said, adding that President Arif Alvi now has to approve the ordinance. It has been renamed as the HEC Amendment Ordinance, 2021.
According to the ordinance, the appointment of the HEC chairperson will be for two years and the members of HEC will be appointed for four years.
The HEC was established in 2002 as an autonomous institution to ensure the promotion of quality education without any political interference.
Even though the HEC is based in Islamabad, four of the 18 members of the HEC Commission represent the provinces while two represent the federation. Therefore, curtailing the autonomy of the HEC may harm the growing cooperation between the HEC and provincial higher education set-ups.
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