Punjab Government has planned to set up universities in every district. In the first phase, eight universities would be established in districts of Mianwali, Bhakkar, Murren, Layyah, Nankana Sahib and two universities in Rawalpindi district.
The project will be beneficial for promotion of higher education in the country. As one hand, it will help to lower the burden of the major universities, lower the merit in government universities and will also encourage healthy competition amongst the higher education institutions.
Punjab Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir Humayun said the government had planned to establish universities at district level across the province. Most of these universities have already been finalized.
The minister said that it was a roadmap and under the project, universities at divisional headquarters would be main campuses of the universities which would be inter-connected. He said that the project would bring about education revolution in the province.
He said that the government had already been working on merit-based appointments of heads of educational institutions under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding that vice-chancellors of universities had been appointed on merit in the first phase while work on the appointment of heads of colleges and other educational institutions was under process.
He also said that the government is planning to ensure a 4-year BS degree programme at district headquarters level. Nealy 73 out of 470 degree colleges in the province are already offering 4 years BS Programs. The minister said that the government was also introducing a guidance project ''Rahnumai Markaz'' to provide career counselling to students so that they could choose proper programme for themselves according to their aptitude and the demand of the market.
He said that the centers would also guide students about domestic and international scholarships and work as job placement centers.
