Mismanaged Priorities Imperil Research Standards in KP Varsities
Fakhar-e-Alam
Peshawar: As many as 20 out of 34 universities are likely to face budget deficits at the close of the current financial year, while 27 universities allocate more than 50 per cent of their budgets to establishment expenditures, needing realignment of priorities on a warfoot basis, stated University of Peshawar former Chairman Economics Department Dr Muhammad Naeem.
The poor health of the majority of universities is exposed by the report prepared by the Governor Secretariat that needs the attention of all stakeholders, Dr Naeem added.
The opening of new universities in far-flung areas for political purposes has negatively impacted research studies besides MS/MPhil and PhD programs. No student was enrolled in MS/MPhil programs at the University of Shangla, the University of Agriculture Swat, Fata University, and Buner University, while a significant decrease was witnessed in students’ enrollment in undergraduate programs at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University, with 4643 students in 2021-22, 4473 in 2022-23, and 4347 in 2023-24, while at the University of Peshawar, only 8161, 7011 and 7675 students were registered during the said years, respectively.
It is heartening that no student has been enrolled in PhD programs at the University of Shangla, the University of Agriculture Swat, Fata University, the University of Buner, the Women Universities Swabi and Mardan, the University of Engineering and Applied Sciences Swat, the University of Agriculture DI Khan, and the University of Chitral during the last three years, mentioned former Chairman.
The main duty of universities is to conduct research. However, the poor allocation is hampering research works at most new universities, he added. In fiscal year 2023-24, the total expenditure of all 34 universities reached Rs 41 billion, against which only Rs 1 billion was earmarked for research initiatives, which was like salt in a flour, Prof Muhammad further said.
Dr Naeem regretted that universities are spending about Rs3.2 billion per year on hiring visiting faculty, compensating thesis supervisors, engaging contingent staff, and addressing miscellaneous contingencies.
This huge amount could be diverted to research work after hiring the services of existing staff, better human resource management, and financial discipline in public universities, Chairman added.
Prof asserted that the closure of financially unstable universities is no solution to problems; rather, the government needs to divert financial resources to strengthen them.
Universities Facing Financial Crunch
Despite the enormous significance of higher education in the country’s socioeconomic development, the majority of public sector universities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are currently facing financial crises.
These are adversely affecting the process of learning and research studies and negatively impacting students’ enrollment in MS, MPhil, and PhD programs in the province.
Out of a total of 34 public sector universities, including 24 general and 10 specialised in engineering, technology, agriculture, medical, animal husbandry, and management sciences, with a population of 40,856,097 and 1,298,278 persons per university, seven public sector universities, including UET Peshawar, Gomal University DI Khan, Agriculture University Peshawar, University of Science and Technology Bannu, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Peshawar, and University of Shangla, were facing a significant financial crunch due to pension liabilities and depleting budget balances.
The KP Universities 2021-24 Report has revealed that the initial balances of budgets of 34 public sector universities and higher educational institutes (HEIs), which were Rs 6,560 million in 2021-22, have been decreased to Rs 5,316 million in 2022-3 and further slashed to Rs 4,740 million in 2023-24.
Due to the substantial weight of establishment charges, a significant concern is the predominant allocation of expenditures towards current operations, with no provision for the creation of capital expenses.
The decrease in the opening of balanced budgets at these universities has encompassed financial fluctuations as well as economic stagnation for research studies, salaries, and pensions.
The financial crisis in most universities has been further deepened after the nonpayment of the promised annual provincial grants of Rs 3,000 million, impacting negatively on the universities’ abilities to maintain infrastructure, support academic programs and research studies, and ensure quality in education disciplines.
During the last three years, the provincial grant to public sector universities, which was Rs 3,962 million in 2022–23, was slashed to Rs 3276.125 million during 2023-24, and only Rs 1231.897 million were recorded during 2021-22.
However, the federal grants to KP universities had witnessed substantial growth, i.e., Rs 10,133.214 million in 2021-22, Rs 10,909.202 million in 2022-23, and Rs 10,954.014 million in 2023–24.
But 18 universities of KP have faced a decrease in federal grants, including the University of Agriculture Peshawar, the University of Lakki Marwat, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar, the University of Haripur, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Fata University Kohat, the University of Science and Technology Bannu, Hazara University, the University of Swabi, Khushal Khattak University Karak, the Women University Swabi, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Dir Upper, Gomal University DI Khan, KMU, the Institute of Management Sciences, Islamia College Peshawar University, and the University of Malakanad during 2022–23 and 2023–24.
Similarly, no provincial grant was received by the University of Agriculture Peshawar in 2021–22 and 2023–24, the University of Buner, or UET Peshawar during the current fiscal year. Moreover, the University of Engineering and Applied Sciences Swat, the University of Chitral, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, the Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology Haripur, and Gomal University DI Khan had received no provincial grants during 2021–22.
In the last three years, the annual receipts of these universities were Rs 46 billion, while annual expenditures remained at Rs 41 billion. Despite reforms and interventions, KP’s universities saw only modest revenue growth of Rs 7 billion in 2021 and Rs 2 billion in 2022, thus falling short of the mandatory progressive targets.
Alike, university surpluses for 2021 and 2022 were Rs 4,113 million and Rs 3,938 million, respectively, while only a Rs 545 million surplus is projected for the current fiscal year due to over-recruitment, high inflation, a lack of savings, and poor performance.
Despite the provision of Rs 20 billion in grants to old universities, the situation is still dismal, and regular support from the Higher Education Commission is imperative to stand the recently established universities on their own two feet in KP.
Fakhar-e-Alam is a Peshawar-based APP correspondent, and the feature is released by APP.
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