The federal government has decided to officially put an end to the autonomy of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and bring it under the Ministry of Education.
According to sources, the federal cabinet has confirmed the order related to HEC. All decisions of the HEC will be subject to the approval of the Ministry of Education, sources said.
President Arif Alvi has also accepted the decree. It has been renamed the HEC Amendment Ordinance, 2021. According to the decree, the appointment of the HEC chairperson will be for 2 years and the members of HEC will be appointed for 4 years.
Even though the HEC is in Islamabad, 4 of the 18 members of the HEC Commission represent the provinces while 2 represent the federation.
Therefore, reducing the autonomy of the HEC may damage the growth of cooperation between the HEC and provincial higher education set-ups.
