Federal education minister announces funding boost
According to Education Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, the Planning Commission has earmarked Rs. 20.25 billion for the ministry in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2024-25.
This represents a nearly 140 percent increase from the Rs. 8.5 billion allocated in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Last week, the federal government reinstated the budget for the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to Rs. 65 billion for the financial year 2024-25.
According to HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, the government had earlier cut the budget to Rs25 billion. He added that with the restored budget, the HEC can continue to provide necessary funding to universities across the provinces without disruption.
The Ministry of Finance has officially communicated this decision to the HEC chairman through a formal letter.In addition to the current budget restoration, the Planning Commission has also reinstated the HEC’s development budget to Rs. 59 billion, which had previously been slashed to Rs. 21 billion.
Courtesy: Pro Pakistani