M M Jasim :
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has requested the government to increase budget allocation for the Higher Education sector to ensure the quality education.
“The government’s budget allocation for the higher education sector every year, is very poor. The government should increase it from the next year,” the UGC said.
The commission expressed their demand in its annual report.
The UGC said the government allocated only 0.65 percent of the total national budget in the 2015-16 FY for the higher education. As a result, the commission could not meet the minimum demands of the public and private universities in the country. “The universities prepare their budget send it to the UGC every year. The commission amends it and sent to the Education Ministry. The ministry finally allocates the amount in the budget. But it is not sufficient for the higher education sector,” it observed.
UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan told The New Nation that the commission requested the government to allocate a handsome amount in the budget for the higher education sector to help improve the overall quality.
“I hoped that the government would respond to the call of the UGC and increase budget in the upcoming national budget,” he said. “We hope that we shall be able to build the students as international standard if the government allocates the UGC adequate money,” the Chairman said.
The UGC officials sources said, the commission requests the government every year to enhance its budget, but the government never does it.
