ISLAMABAD: Although Higher Education Commission (HEC) has taken a stern action against academic malpractices in universities and has made certain good policies for development of higher education sector, it remains fail to chase some vulnerable tasks during 2017. The HEC is a federal entity that provides policies and standards for over 180 public and private sector universities across the country. As per available information, in the past four years the commission shut down 524 MPhil and PhD programmes across the country on incomplete academic arrangements. Separately in 2017, the HEC closed down 24 PhD academic programmes of the International Islamic University (IIU) Islamabad for not fulfilling the required criteria. The HEC committee directed the varsity to stop all activities of these programmes, while 15 other PhD programs in the varsity were asked by the committee to stop ‘fresh induction of students’. Besides, the commission ordered closure of three more institutes in the year, including Imperial College of Business Studies, Lahore, Global Institute Lahore, University of Chakwal (UoC), Islamabad College for Law. So for, 155 universities and their affiliated colleges have been declared illegal by the commission. Thousands of students are enrolled in the halted programmes and banned institutes. Although these the action against universities and colleges for not fulfilling required criteria was commendable, the commission made no strategy to secure career of enrolled students that was termed regretful by educationists. During 2017, HEC awarded 395 overseas scholarships, 1,068 indigenous scholarships in various disciplines and it launched Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarship Programme for Afghan national students under which 3,000 scholarships would be awarded exclusively to Afghan students. Many other measures, including launch of Prime Minister’s National Laptop Scheme (PMNLS) Phase IV and V, online attestation system by developing an e-portal for registration and processing of degree attestation cases, Internet Exchange Point, Education Testing Council (ETC) to ensure free of cost admission in public and private institutions, were also taken by the HEC> According to the HEC, 41 percent of HEC funding goes to human resource development, 33 percent to ensuring equitable access, 23 percent to ICT development and the rest of the four percent to other necessities. The HEC has so far allocated funds for construction of 505 academic blocks in universities, out of which 357 blocks have been completed and 148 blocks are under-construction. The available information, however, stated that the HEC administration also remained fail in utilisation of all amount of released development funds for the year. Moreover, in last three years, out of 149 new development projects reflected in annual budget/PSDP, HEC could only get 66 projects approved which, according to a senior official of the HEC, resulted in depriving public sector universities to undertake steps towards improving existing facilities and fulfilling growing needs. Furthermore, the 18 members governing body also remained incomplete and the commission made several decisions, including approval of current year budget 2017-18, without body. The HEC did not publish its annual report since 2014, while the failure persisted in 2017. Under the law, the HEC is bound to publish its annual report. Moreover, the issue to implement 18th constitutional amendment could not be resolved despite the matter presented in the Council of Common Interests. HEC Chairperson Dr Mukhtar Ahmed was of the view, “We tried our best to make certain sort of policies impartially and without any pressure to venerate our higher education system and making it on a par with international standards,” he claimed. Published in Daily Times, January 1st 2018.