ISALMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has directed all universities to conduct all admission tests through its newly-formed Education Testing Council (ETC). However, academic circles have opposed the move. According to a letter from HEC Executive Director Arshad Ali, the vice chancellors, rectors and heads of public and private universities have been directed to conduct tests for admissions through the ETC. “As announced at the ETC commencement ceremony and approved in first meeting of the council held on May 06, 2017, the ETC will be launching tests for admission to undergraduate programs from Fall 2017, during first half of July 2017 in five broad categories including engineering, medical, basic and natural sciences, management sciences and social sciences, arts and humanities,” it stated. In December 2016, the HEC had also informed all universities that it would be mandatory for them to conduct admission tests through the ETC. Initially, the HEC had decided to establish its own testing authority following directions by the Lahore High Court (LHC) in a 2014 case, wherein the court had declared the National Testing Service (NTS) an unapproved entity. However, academic circles have opposed the decision. A vice chancellor of a public sector university in Rawalpindi told Daily Times that the HEC had no mandate to conduct tests for admissions in universities. He said that the universities were autonomous bodies and such interference would severely harm their autonomy. The VC maintained that under the HEC Act 2002, the commission was supposed to provide policy guidelines in the higher education sector. “However, the HEC is behaving like a thanedar (station house officer),” he said. Talking to Daily Times, Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Dr Nizamuddin said that it was good that the HEC had sought response from the universities after circulating the letter. “However, the HEC has no authority to make such decisions as all universities are independent bodies. The universities have their own mechanisms to conduct admission tests. In this case, the interference of the HEC is beyond logic,” he said. Dr Nizam recalled the LHC had directed that the HEC only to provide guidelines to the universities. “The court had asked it to put recommendations before the Council of Common Interests (CCI), instead taking decision on its own,” he said. He clarified that the PEHC would not force any university in the Punjab to comply with the HEC’s directions as they had their own mechanism for the purpose. “Under the law, they are not bound to comply with such directives,” he said. The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) also rejected the ETC. “It has not been approved by the governing body of the HEC,” he said. In a statement, the FAPUASA termed the HEC’s decision against the autonomy of the universities. FAPUASA President Dr Kaleem Bareech said that under Clause 10 of the HEC Ordinance 2002, the HEC could not establish any such body by itself for conducting tests. “The actual powers of the HEC are with its 17-member board, which has discussed the issue,” he said. “Members of the HEC Board have already rejected the administration’s idea to involve itself in conducting tests by declaring it a case of conflict of interest. Instead of implementing the HEC Board’s decision, the administration has involved itself in conducting tests by establishing the ETC,” he said. Earlier, National Testing Council (NTS) Chief Dr Sherzada Khan had also said that the HEC could not run a monitoring and testing body simultaneously.