LAHORE, June 22: The Punjab University Syndicate on Saturday did not accord approval to varsity’s budget committee’s proposal of reserving seats in teaching departments for donors. The seats were proposed to be offered to donors on the basis of market demand of the programme.

The Syndicate meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran also objected to the issuance of appointment letters to various faculty members despite ban on recruitment against all posts by the Punjab Higher Education Department. It also rejected appointment of Director of Research Society of Pakistan at the Pakistan Study Centre by the vice chancellor while using his emergency powers under section 15(3) of the PU Act 1973.

The Syndicate discussed information leak from the university and proposals to check the dissemination of information to the media.

The Syndicate approved PU’s over Rs1 billion deficit budget for the fiscal year 2013-14 with a total outlay of Rs6.094 billion. The university expects an income of Rs5.047 billion and the deficit stands at Rs1.047 billion (21 per cent).

It also approved increase in the rate of registration/examination fee for students of affiliated colleges and private candidates by 10 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. It accorded approval for 20 per cent increase in examination fee of private candidates of B.Com examination; 18 per cent increase in migration/degree/equivalence and verification fee; and urgent migration certificate fee at double the ordinary migration.

The Syndicate also approved increase in charges for services being offered to hostel residents. Rent of shops/canteens/kiosks was also increased by 10 per cent per annum.

According to the budget estimates, the university expects a total income of Rs5.047 billion comprising grant of Rs1.695 billion from the Higher Education Commission; Rs82.036 million as a grant for Tenure Track System and Rs3.27 billion (65 per cent) to be generated from its own resources. The Punjab government’s contribution has remained zero per cent.

On the expenditure side, the PU has calculated Rs3.179 billion (52 per cent) to be paid to university employees under the head of pay and regular allowances. It plans to spend Rs392.614 million (six per cent) on other benefits and facilities; Rs557.527 million (nine per cent) on pension; Rs452.9 million (seven per cent) on conduct and remuneration of examination, Rs527.23 million (nine per cent) on utility charges; Rs100 million (two per cent) on lump sum provision for research; Rs199.239 million (three per cent) on scholarships for faculty and students; Rs292.992 million (five per cent) on other current expenditures and Rs392.57 million (six per cent) on development expenditures.

While considering income generation measures, sources told Dawn that the proposal for reserving seats for donors was objected to for being negation of the Punjab government’s policy that even abolished seats on Self-Finance Scheme.

The Syndicate members also objected to issuance of appointment letters to various faculty members including three appointed as assistant professors at the Institute of Communication Studies. They were appointed despite the fact that the Punjab Higher Education Department had imposed ban on recruitment against all posts on Jan 18, which was re-endorsed on May 29 in a letter addressed to all public-sector universities’ vice chancellors. The incumbents had joined their duties early this week.

The Syndicate then sought opinion of the department’s additional secretary, Amna Imam, who confirmed that the higher education department had imposed ban on recruitment.

PU Registrar Prof Dr Khan Rass Masood, who is also secretary to the Syndicate, told Dawn that Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran had informed the meeting that appointments were made before the imposition of ban. He said the VC stated that the ban on recruitment for universities was wrongly placed as varsities were always in need of hiring faculty members because teachers remained on the move.

With regard to rejecting proposal for reserving seats for donors, Prof Masood said he would confirm after checking the record.

Discussing the VC’s anticipatory orders, the Syndicate objected to the appointment of former history department chairman Prof Dr S. Qalb-i-Abid (professor on a contract basis) as Director Research Society of Pakistan (RSP) at the Pakistan Study Centre. The Syndicate acknowledged that the VC could not appoint the RSP director while using his emergency powers because the Centre was being governed by the Board of Governors.

It is learnt that the Syndicate members also expressed their resentment over publishing of a news item regarding university budget and suggested that the university should ensure blocking of information to the media.

Sources said the members discussed proposal of sending soft copies of the Syndicate agenda to its members. Some called for sending the agenda to members at the eleventh hour.

A press release issued here on Saturday said Syndicate member Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi said the PU Syndicate was a prestigious institution and legal notices must be served on newspapers publishing news items against the body.

The Syndicate also constituted a committee to generate funds for the PU to facilitate research and development projects. It said the committee would be headed by Higher Education Department’s Additional Secretary Amna Imam.

According to other salient features of the budget, it said, special students would be offered free education along with boarding facilities. The students getting admission on a sports basis would also be provided free education. The university would continue to waive tuition fee of Hafiz-i-Quran students.

It allocated a seed money of Rs50 million for the establishment of PU Medical and Dental College.