ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – The apparently inactive Higher Education Commission (HEC) has shut down 31 PhD and 26 MPhil programmes in various public and private universities during the last 18 months, according to HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed.
Shedding light on commission’s role, the HEC chief claimed that the HEC closed down 57 programmes in various universities despite having a restricted role in overseeing varsities. Moreover, minor deficiencies were found in 21 MPhil programmes and in 195 PhD programmes.
“Following the advice of various standing committees and other forums, we have started working on a proposal for tightening our laws for the effective regulation of all degree awarding institutions,” he said.
The chairman went on to say that universities were accountable even though they were autonomous institutions.
He added that a total of 293 PhD and 57 MPhil programmes of 171 universities have recently been reviewed by HEC teams and that the programmes failing to meet the benchmark standards were closed.
“During the review process, HEC teams primarily assessed whether or not the universities were following the Act under which they are operating, are their statutory bodies in place, if they are abiding by structural guidelines, and if they are following a proper criteria for affiliations.” he said
Dr Mukhtar expressed the HEC had also stopped 56 PhD programmes and 10 MPhil ones from future intakes.
