Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led Punjab government has decided to change the criteria of appointment of vice chancellors (VCs) in public sector universities of Punjab.

The government intends to replicate Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) model of appointing vice chancellors, as per reports. Sources in the Higher Education Department claimed that the PTI government has constituted an eight-member committee to review the criteria of appointment of VCs followed by the former PML (N) government. The recommendations of this committee are in final stages, according to sources. The sources claimed that provincial Higher Education Minister Raja Yasir Hamayun presided over a meeting recently held to review the criteria. Sources added that these recommendations will be presented in the cabinet meeting for approval.

In old criteria, 100 marks were allocated for prequalification out of which 65 marks were awarded for academic experience while 35 marks were reserved for final interview. The sources added that according to the proposed criteria 100 marks have been allocated for the prequalification out of which 35 marks will be for research publications, 30 for professional experience while 30 marks will be allocated for academic experience.

According to the proposed criteria, 100 marks have been allocated for interview conducted by search committee while the 75 marks obtained for short listing will not be considered. The search committee will finalize the names of the candidate on the basis of interview.

In the previous criteria, a candidate was dropped either in interview or in academics. In the new criteria, 10 marks of international experience will be abolished. It was also decided in the meeting that 4 numbers for every patent will also be abolished. In the new criteria, marks will be allocated for those who are working on administrative posts. The sources said that the names of 12 members of the search committee and criteria will be advertised after the approval of cabinet. According to the sources, a five-member search committee comprises of the Higher Education Department secretary, Punjab Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairmen, two members from the academia and one either from civil society, a retired judge or a bureaucrat.

The process of appointment of vice chancellors of 16 public sector universities will be completed between February and March. The sources also claimed that one search committee will be constituted for all the universities while separate notifications will be issued for every university according to its act. All Pakistan Federation of Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) President Dr Mahboob Hussain said that stakeholders were not taken into confidence by the Punjab government before finalizing the criteria for appointment of public sector universities’ VCs.

Published in Daily Times, November 7^th 2018.