Senator Irfan-ul-Haq Siqqidui, the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, met at Parliament House in Islamabad on Thursday.
The committee resolved the issue of placing educational institutions in the Islamabad Capital Territory under the administrative control of the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad, and it stands resolved with the assurance of the incorporation and complete adoption of the amendments proposed by the stakeholders.
Chairman Siddiqui stated that the topic should be followed up on on a regular basis, and that any concerns should be presented before the committee for discussion.
Also Read: KU is Finally Replacing Handwritten Urdu Content on Degrees After 70 Years
The committee unanimously suggested that the portal’s closure date be extended in the area of providing higher education options for students from Balochistan and the former FATA.
“Around 20,000 to 25,000 students have been denied admission due to the portal cutoff date,” Siddiqui said, emphasising the importance of extending the deadline.
The committee also recommended that the issue of scholarship provision at the provincial level be permanently resolved by holding joint meetings with the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) in accordance with the Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the Planning Commission, and the Higher Education Commission, with a recommendation for provincial government representation.
The Chairman of the Committee also requested a briefing from the HEC on the construction of a framework for resolving scholarship awards at the provincial level.
Also Read: Punjab Announces Changed Final Exam Date Sheet for Classes 1 to 8
The committee also stated that MDCAT students who were unable to enrol last year owing to the HEC’s delay in identifying seats will not be permitted to enrol this year since the entrance requirement, which has been increased from 60% to 65 percent, is unfair to the students.
Senator Siddiqui added, “The HEC changes criteria every year; it is unjust that the current seats, as well as seats from previous year, remain empty owing to insignificant changes in the criteria.” He also suggested that students from the previous year be accommodated using the criteria from the previous year.
Apart from the 265 seats granted for the new academic year, the committee advised allowing students who had met the criterion the previous year to use the 36 seats available.
Also Read: Survey Shows Shocking Levels of Happiness on Reopening of Schools
Due to the absence of the concerned minister, the bills titled ‘The Pak University of Engineering and Emerging Technology University Bill, 2022’ and ‘The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Amendment Bill, 2022’ were postponed.
“The minister’s prerogative is necessary over the bills of complete importance and cannot be ignored,” Chairman Siddiqui remarked as he deferred the bills to the next meeting.