The Senate Committee on Education held a crucial meeting today. Chairperson Bushra Anjum Butt chaired the session. During the proceedings, the committee successfully passed the HEC Amendment Bill 2026.
The newly approved HEC Amendment Bill 2026 mandates a strict 33% women representation quota. This rule applies directly to the HEC Commission and the Quaid-e-Azam University Syndicate. However, the decision faced immediate pushback. Kamran Murtaza openly criticized the move. He stated that allocating a quota exclusively for women will create ongoing issues with merit.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Education briefed the committee on its plans for the upcoming fiscal year. The Ministry intends to complete 23 development projects. These include 16 ongoing projects and 7 new initiatives. Consequently, the Ministry requested Rs. 33,432 million for its existing work. Meanwhile, they require Rs. 8,279 million for the new plans. This brings the total necessary Ministry budget to Rs. 41,711.186 million.
Similarly, the HEC shared its massive development portfolio. The commission will tackle 299 projects next year. They need Rs. 73,850.208 million to fund 126 ongoing projects. Additionally, the HEC requires Rs. 37,200 million to launch 173 new development schemes.
Finally, the committee reviewed the recent delays in degree verification. HEC officials presented detailed statistics to clarify the situation. Over the last three months, the HEC verified 615 out of 775 submitted degrees. Specifically, they cleared 268 degrees in January. Then, they processed 207 degrees in February and 90 degrees in March. As a result, officials confirmed that zero pendency currently exists for degree verification at any HEC regional center.
