People’s government suggesting universities to generate resources of their own – by Usman Qazi
Link to the LUBP Forum discussion on this topic: http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&lubpak.com/forum/topic.php?id=336
ملک کو درپیش قدرتی اور مالیاتی بحران کے پس منظر میں محترمہ شہناز وزیرعلی کا بیان نظر سے گزرا جس میں ان کا روے سخن صحت اور تعلیم، خصوصا اعلی تعلیم کے شعبے کی جانب تھا. محترمہ نے اس بیان میں ایک تو سرکاری جامعات کو مشورہ دیا ہے کہ وہ اپنے پاؤں پر کھڑی ہونا سیکھیں. دوسرے یہ کہ تمام شعبے خصوصا تعلیم و صحت کٹوتی کے شکار ہوں گے.
ہم ان کی بات کو آگے بڑھاتے ہوے عرض کریں گے کہ “تمام” شعبوں میں نہ جانے انہوں نے دفاع ، ایوان صدر اور ارکان اسمبلی کے شاہانہ اخراجات کو کیوں شامل کرنا مناسب نہ سمجھا. ان کی نظر سے یقینا قومی اسمبلی کی پبلک اکاونٹس کمیٹی کے اس اجلاس کی روداد گزری ہو گی جس میں وفاقی محکمہ خزانہ نے آئی ایس آئی کو پانچ کھرب روپے دینے کا ذکر تو کیا مگر ان کے مصرف کے بارے میں مکمل لا علمی کا اظہار کیا. بہتر ہو گا کہ محترمہ کم خرچ بالا نشین تجاویز کے اطلاق کا آغاز وہاں سے کریں جہاں مصارف کا حجم زیادہ ہے اور ان کی افادیت سرے سے مشکوک ہے. آپ نے فرمایا ہے کہ سرکاری جامعات کے ہر طالب علم کو سرکار ساٹھ ہزار روپے سالانہ زر اعانت (سبسڈی) دیتی ہے. کیا کوئی یہ بتانا پسند کرے گا کہ ہر فوجی جوان اور افسر کو کتنی سبسڈی ملتی ہے اور ملک کی ترقی اور مستقبل میں اس اعانت یافتہ جم غفیر کا کیا کردار ہے؟
جہاں تک جامعات کے اپنے پاؤں پر کھڑا ہونے کی بات ہے، تو اس سلسلے میں سب سے دلچسپ تجویز یہ آئی ہے کہ یہ ادارے اپنی زمیں بچ کر گزارہ کریں. اس سے ایک تو اضافی پیسے ہاتھ لگیں گے اور دوسرے اس زمین کی دیکھ بھال اور چوکیداری پر جو رقم خرچ ہوتی ہے، وہ بھی بچے گی.
یاد رہے کہ یہ کوئی خیالی یا ہوائی تجویز نہیں ہے. اس کی عملی مثال ہم ١٩٧١ میں قایم کر چکے ہیں جب ہم نے اپنی آدھی زمین سے جان چھڑائی اور اس کی دیکھ بھال، مرمت وغیرہ پر جو خرچ آتا تھا وہ الگ بچا. جاتے جاتے ہم سینکڑوں دانشوروں، فنکاروں، پروفیسروں، صحافیوں سے بھی وہاں کے باسیوں کی جان چھڑاتے آے کہ وہ بھی ان کی تنخواہ کے خرچ سے بچیں. اب بنگالیوں کی نا عاقبت اندیشانہ ذہنیت کا جس قدر ماتم کیجئے کم ہے کہ ایک تو بجاے ہمارے شکر گزار ہونے کے ہر سال سات دسمبر کو دانشور شہدا کا دن مناتے ہیں اور دوسرے انہوں نے اپنا پیٹ کاٹ کر اسی بے کار پودے، یعنی اعلی تعلیم کو پھر سے تناور درخت بنا دیا ہے، جس کی بیخ کنی ہم اپنے خیال میں کرتے آے تھے.
ویسے زمین بیچنے والی تجویز بری نہیں ہے. کیوں نہ اس کار خیر کا دائرہ، کور کمانڈر حضرات کے عالی شان بنگلوں، بڑے بڑے فوجی میسوں، ایوان ہاے صدر و وزیر اعظم تک پھیلایا جاے تاکہ یہ سب بھی اپنے پیروں پر کھڑے ہو جائیں.
اگر ایسی تجویز کسی نواب کالا باغ یا جنرل جاوید اشرف قاضی کی طرف سے آتی تو شاید ہم اسے ان کی سادگی یا حماقت پر محمول کرتے مگر شہناز کی زبانی یہ نسخہ سن کر “چوں کفر از کعبه بر خیزد کجا ماند مسلمانی ” کا احساس ہوا۔(عثمان قاضی۔۔
Shehnaz urges varsities to stand on own feet
Staff Reporter
Islamabad—Advisor to Prime Minister on Social Sector, Shahnaz Wazir Ali has said the government cannot bear 100% expenses of universities running in the public sector and they would have to learn to stand on their own feet.
At present the overall fiscal situation of Pakistan is difficult. It is imperative for all the departments, ministries and the autonomous bodies to review their expenses, she told BBC Radio on Thursday when asked to comment on the cause of financial crisis in the government universities which had suspended the teaching process in protest against the curtailment of the annual budget for Higher Education.
Besides, she said the higher educational institutions of the country cannot be run on the aid coming from foreign countries.
Answering a question that education and health departments should have been exempted from this curtailment, she said they cannot be saved completely from curtailment.
Well, there is not the only issue of Higher Education. There is also the Primary Education, technical education and vocational education. There is also the special education for disable children. We have also to run the literacy programme. Hence there is an entire spectrum of education,” she added.
She said budget of the Higher Education was being reviewed because the country was confronted with economic difficulty as we have to divert funds for the relief and rehabilitation of the flood affected people as well.
Replying to another question, Shehnaz Wazir Ali said the funds which are now being provided to the Higher Education are being made by curtailing budget of other sectors.
But the problem of public sector universities in the country is that they should be completely financed by the government. The Universities, too, will have to make resource organization in one way or the other.
“In the present age it is neither possible nor reasonable for the government to provide the entire budget of the public sector universities. Hence, the public sector universities will have to shun this approach,” she added.
She said in the education sector only 8% to 9% financing comes from abroad, but an impression is given that a heavy amount comes from abroad.
“We are referring to Higher Education. There are various kinds of help for Higher Education. One is the financial assistance. Then there is some long term assistance. Under which some projects are made. Some assistance ought to come from abroad and this will come,” she said.
The Advisor said we are receiving development assistance and at present our government has received 300 million dollars from World Bank for Higher Education sector.
“One cannot say that nothing is being done. At the moment nearly 4991 of our students are studying in foreign countries. Pakistan is bearing the expenses of these students,” she said while replying to another question.
current PPP govt: is busy to suck the last drop of blood from poor people of Pakistan in one or other way,some time flood tax,some time raise education fees. The current leader who claim the follower of Benzair Bhutto shall realize that people have capacity to pay the taxes?Please not force them to suicide !
Shame, shame!
Indeed A Shame. And by the way how would they generate Income? “running gambling den on campus or arranging bookies in campus”
While they are providing the incentive to the Mighty Army by projecting a rise in the defence budget more than a hundred billions in the next budget, they are declining the public sector the very minimal support, If this is the policy of reconciliation to bow before the ones with the guns and stab the public via refusing to invest in education sector, then it has refrain to declare them people’s govt.
In the next step they will suggest the public sector hospitals to generate funds of their own….kudos!
when the land will finish, than what they will eat. a stupid idea by stupids. non sense people, dont think what they are saying. tomorrow they will say GOVT has no money so we decided to sell out the university and build a shopping plaza. Only God could keep this nation on the straight line.
Advice on funds generation
Mubashir Mahmood Karachi
Many government universities are nowadays protesting for lack of funds and the teachers are planning to boycott the classes so that government officials may take notice of their issue. My advice to these universities is why they are not planning to generate money themselves from different projects? The biggest and largest government university in Karachi has a lot of land space and this space can be utilized if different types of vegetables, fruit can be seeded and then through a proper management it can be sold to the whole of the city vegetable and fruit keepers which will also reduce the price of vegetables and fruit in the city as transport fares will be minimal within the city. I hope that the administration of this university may take this advice which helps them in generating lot of money.
Gentlemen, this is indeed sad. Without doubt the nation and the government is faced by a difficult situation. If Shahnaz Wazir Ali has recommended raising funding on its own, there is no harm! Let’s look at Karachi University. It is owning prime land in the city. They have no dearth of resources but are mismanaged. Why cant selectively the unviersity sell some land it has to developers or make joint ventures that can help the university generate income? I remember when Dr. Abdul Wahab was VC of KU, he got the funds of KU parked in private banks at 3-4% less interest rates, moved to market rates. Similarly, got land under encroachment secured etc.
Why do we always assume that only fees and government funds are the two sources?
Our universities have a number of their internal issues, why doesnt anyone ever talk about those?
In times of adversity, one can and should look towards alternate options.
Should the party of Z.A. Bhutto follow the American model or a more socialistic European model for universities? In Europe, all higher education is completely free and borne by the Govt. completely. Even the private institutions get their funding from government and the students dont pay the fee.
Pakistani Model is better.
kifayat sheaar hukumat:
http://jang.com.pk/jang/sep2010-daily/26-09-2010/col11.htm
No disagreement on the point that Universities are in a mess and need to manage themselves well. My point of departure is, why start 9as usual) with health and education when it comes to austerity. There is enough evidence to suggest that Army and its corporate entities and countless other public sector concerns are extremely wasteful. Why not start there? Does anyone know the volume of grants the government gives to private sector universities? I ll appreciate the figures if anyone can supply these.