Minority Caucus Reviews Scholarship Opportunities for Minority Students

Report: ANI
ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Minority Caucus was held at the Old PIPS Hall, Islamabad, under the chairmanship of Senator Danesh Kumar. Members of Parliament, including Poonjo Bheel, Mahesh Kumar Malani, Dr. Nelson Azeem, Ms. Neelum, Sanjay Perwani and Naveed Aamir, attended the meeting.
The Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs, Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC), Director General Human Rights and officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) were also present.
The HEC representative briefed the caucus on scholarship policies and programmes being implemented in universities across the country. He said Quaid-i-Azam University provides scholarships on merit and need basis rather than through a quota system, adding that no separate seats have been allocated for minority students under the scholarship programme.
The meeting was informed that minority students benefited from two batches of scholarships under the Ehsaas Programme before its discontinuation. In the first batch, 660 male and 253 female minority students received scholarships, while 592 male and 271 female students benefited in the second batch.
The HEC representative said universities allocate funds annually for scholarships and have dedicated committees to assess students’ academic performance and financial needs. Merit-based scholarships are awarded to high-performing students, while need-based scholarships are provided to orphans and financially disadvantaged students.
The meeting was further informed that 119 universities are registered with HEC and the government has allocated approximately Rs. 65 billion for scholarships.
The Convener directed HEC to provide the committee with records of scholarships awarded during the last three years, particularly details of scholarships provided to minority students. He also appreciated the Government of Balochistan for allocating substantial funds for the welfare and development of minorities.
Senator Danesh Kumar also sought details of expenditure incurred on the renovation of places of worship and the number of minority children receiving scholarships at the school level.
MNA Dr. Nelson Azeem emphasized the need for universities across Pakistan to provide adequate playgrounds and spaces for co-curricular activities to ensure the holistic development of students.
The meeting also noted that following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, several subjects now fall within the legislative and administrative domain of the provinces.