Budget 2023-24: Govt to set over Rs59.7 billion for higher education

• Rs1 billion reserved for Fulbright Scholarships (Phase III).
• Rs1.2bn set for improving labs in 5 engineering universities.
• Rs500m allocated for establishment of Institute of Sports.

The federal government has allocated Rs59.7 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the ongoing and new schemes of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), during the fiscal year 2023-24.

According to the budget document issued on Friday, around Rs52.8 billion has been designated for ongoing schemes in the education sector, while another Rs6.9 billion is for new ones.

Among the ongoing schemes, Rs1.5 billion has been allocated for the Award of Allama Muhammad Iqbal 3,000 Scholarships to Afghan students (PM's Directive), while Rs500 million each for the development of the Main Campus Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, and the development of the University of Buner in Swari (Phase-I).

Moreover, Rs500 million has been earmarked to establish Dr Ashfaq Ahmad Khan Centre in basic sciences, and Rs500 million for University College at Zhob (BUITEMS) (to be revised).

Similarly, Rs1 billion each has been reserved for Fulbright Scholarships Support Programme HEC-USAID (Phase-III), and Innovative Center and Software Park at the University of Engineering & Technology Sub Campus Lahore (Revised).

The government has also earmarked Rs3.23 billion for Overseas Scholarship for MS/M.Phil leading to PhD in selected fields (Phase III)-HEC.

A hefty amount of Rs3 billion has been allocated for Ph.D. Scholarship Programme under the Pak-US Knowledge Corridor (Phase-I)-(Revised); whereas Rs800 million is reserved for Strengthening and Expansion of the University of Gujrat (UN) and Allied Campuses (Revised).

Furthermore, the government earmarked Rs740.902 million for strengthening the Core Network & Expansion of PERN footprints through CPEC Optical Fiber (PERN-III)-HEC, and Rs1.5 billion for the construction of the National Sports City (NSC) at Narowal.

For new schemes, the government has allocated Rs1.2 billion for improving lab facilities in five leading Engineering Universities (UET Peshawar, Taxila, Lahore, Khuzdar & NED Karachi).

Additionally, Rs500 million each has been set for providing higher education opportunities to students from Balochistan and tribal areas (Phase-III) and enhancing academic facilities at NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi.

Rs500 million has also been allocated for the establishment of the Institute of Sports.