ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) on Tuesday informed a parliamentary committee that the quota for students from tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan had been increased by 800 per cent in public sector medical and dental colleges.

The Senate Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas held a meeting to discuss implementation status of its recommendations.

The recommendations were given considering a decision of the federal cabinet years ago that the special quotas should be allocated for the students of Fata and Balochistan. Though the educational institutions had increased the quota, the number of seats remained unchanged as the now dissolved Pakistan Medical and Dental Council was of the view that seats were allocated as per the provincial quota.

PMC Secretary Dr Arsalan Hayat while briefing the committee on Tuesday said four seats in each of the public medical and dental colleges had been approved and notified over and above the existing quota for the students of Balochistan and erstwhile Fata.

Four seats in each of 59 medical and dental colleges have been added to the special quota, Senate body told

“As many as 29 seats were already available and 236 seats (four in each of the 59 colleges) have been added on the recommendation of the committee,” he said.

The committee appreciated the swift action taken by the PMC for better opportunities for students of less-developed areas.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator Mohammad Usman Kakar at Parliament House.

Discussing the budget allocation and its utilisation so far under each head of Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the current financial year and proposed budget demands for next year, the committee was told that Rs62.8 billion had been allocated in 2017-18 and Rs65 billion in 2018-19.

An amount of Rs103.5 billion was demanded for 2019-20 but HEC was allocated Rs59.1 billion which is 45pc less than the demand and 9.5pc less than last year’s allocation.

Out of Rs59.1bn, 40pc has been given to HEC and most of it has been utilised.

The committee was told that most of the universities did not have funds even for salaries and pensions for the next quarter due to the budget curtailments.

The committee decided to hear the finance and education ministries in its next meeting and also asked for details of deficits faced by universities across the country.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2020