HEC to take action against 150 research scholars

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan is all set to collect millions of rupees in fines from research scholars who did not complete their degrees despite receiving huge funds from the HEC, Pakistan Today learnt on Monday.
According to details, the HEC has finally decided to take stern action against irresponsible PhD and MPhil research scholars who did not complete their degrees despite receiving funds from the HEC. During the last few years, the HEC had awarded various scholarships in pure sciences and social sciences to raise the status of research. The move was made to produce more PhD students to compete with international universities having hundred percent PhD faculties across the world. As a favour, the HEC had asked varsities to increase the number of PhD teachers and had promised to provide financial support to students pursuing higher education. However, many scholars did not complete their degrees after getting the grants, hence causing academic and financial loss to the government.
Sources said the HEC had prepared a list of 150 defaulters and would start disciplinary action against them soon. They said such incidents had happened in the past as well but this time around the commission was undergoing its worst ever financial crisis and would not spare fraudsters. They said the defaulters belonged to various public sector universities including University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Punjab University, Islamia University, Bahawalpur and Bahauddin Zakria University, Multan. The list included both scholars studying at local universities as well as those enrolled in postgraduate programmes abroad.
An HEC official said on condition of anonymity that the scholars were involved in a double crime as on one hand they were receiving money from the HEC and on the other they were being paid for teaching at private universities after taking a leave from their varsities. He said it was a tragedy that the scholars were studying on government expense and serving the private sector. He said: “We allow four years’ time to PhD students and two years’ time to MPhil students to complete their degrees. There are numerous candidates who have not informed us about their degrees for years.” He said the HEC was not only giving funds to the scholars but was also paying their research supervisors and the defaulters would have to pay back the full amount to the HEC.
Another HEC official dealing with the scholarship programmes said the HEC had provided scholarships with the aim to increase the number of PhD teachers at public sector universities but some corrupt people exploited the commission’s resources. He said: “We are launching a serious drive against such defaulters. We have already sent written warnings to scholars and their respective varsity administrations regarding the action. We may even go to court if the need arises.” He said in the past the commission’s recovery in such cases had been a hundred percent and was hopeful that funds would be recovered without legal action.
He said HEC scholars in foreign countries were facing financial problems and by collecting the defaulted money, the commission would be able to help students abroad who wanted to continue their studies.