Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Saturday sought another day to decide high profile plagiarism cases including its own executive director who has been alleged for plagiarising 88 percent of research work in his papers.

While addressing the press conference, HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri said, “The commission meeting will still continue and all high profile cases would be decided by today (Sunday),” adding that he will make the decision public as soon as it is finalised by the commission.

Without mentioning the name of any scholar, the chairman said that there are a total of five high profile cases alleged for copying work in their research.

“As it is a very sensitive and a complicated issue, that’s why some more time is required to deeply probe all of these cases,” he justified.

The meeting of 18-member maiden commission of the HEC began on Friday and included agenda to give definite touch to some controversies of alleged plagiarism cases.

Besides some other cases, the case of Dr Arshad Ali who is principal accounting officer of and second most important administrator of the HEC after chairperson is under discussion. Dr Arshad had been alleged for stealing 88 percent research work of his co-authored research paper from another publication in the paper titled A Taxonomy & Survey Of Grid Resource Planning & Reservation Systems For Grid Enabled Analysis Environment published in July 2004, as per Turnitin report which is an official software of the HEC to deduct copied research work in papers or thesis.

While disclosing some other findings made in the commission meeting, Dr Tariq Banuri said that we put all existed policies regarding students, faculty and as whole in the higher education sector and the commission applauded all of them. Besides this, we suggested some certain sort of the amendments in policy to maximum facilitate students and academia, he added.

The chairman recalled that soon after he resumed office, abolished the term to examine entire academic past of students while attesting their higher education level degrees.

“It was unnecessary to check a matriculation degree for attestation of masters’ degree,” he justified, adding that now it also has been wetted by the commission.

While responding a question that either he doesn’t think that it would be easiest for the person who desires to seek fake degree from any private university, the chairman did not give any satisfactory answer except saying, “We have established a management system in the HEC for this purpose.”

Currently in the education sector, Dr Banuri claimed the HEC is the sole institution which is providing maximum funding for research purpose in the universities.

“The HEC allocated Rs 10 billion only for research apart from other development projects funding,” he explained.

In a recent cabinet meeting, the federal government has cut down 35 percent of development budget of the commission. When asked for his response over this decision of the government, the chairman said that the HEC has submitted a request to the government for taking back its decision and in response, the government, he disclosed, has assured to again increase in the development budget. However, he pointed, at the same time the government also indicated for little delay in this process due to ongoing economic crisis in the country.

The HEC chief recalled that he held several meetings with private sector universities owners, saying that he asked them to make money as much they desired but there should be no compromise on quality and minimum criteria set by the commission. However, at the same time slightly criticising the previous government project to establish one university in each district of Pakistan was understandable.

“To build more varsities is not important but to maintain quality is much more significant,” Dr Banuri reaffirmed.

After taking charge, he claimed, it was in my top priorities to sustain merit in each matter for that, he added. He said that he himself is accountable before every one after Allah as it’s a public office and not the personal property of any individual.

Replying to a question regarding unjust use of vehicles by some senior officials of the HEC, the chairman avoided to speak more on the matter. However, he assured that the matter was presented before the commission and all liable officials would be taken in account accordingly, adding that a comprehensive policy to stop such happening in future is also suggested for the approval of the commission.

Today is third day of the newly formed 18-member commission of the HEC which is a high powered body.

Published in Daily Times, October 21^st 2018.