Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday launched a portal exclusively to register complaints regarding scholarships granted to students to ensure meritocracy and transparency, with especial focus to uplift those students who have determination but no means to accomplish their dreams.
Linked with the Prime Minister Citizen Portal, the facility aims to help students on scholarships to register their complaints as well as ensuring the judicious use of the allocated resources.
Addressing the ceremony, the prime minister said that a team of academics will also constantly oversee the portal and guide the government to grant scholarships in particular subjects keeping in view the needs of the market as well as the country.
"Nation-building is the foremost purpose of education. The panel will make a connection between the professionals needed in the country and identify those subjects in which scholarships should be granted to students," he said.
Currently, the government spends Rs28 billion to support education of deserving and competent students. The beneficiaries include around 2.6 million students of which 72% are women.
The prime minister admitted he did not know about the number of scholarships being granted to students when he assumed power as it was a devolved system following the 18th Amendment wherein education became a provincial matter.
He said the government had long been receiving complaints from the students for being neglected or delay in the payment of scholarships which prompted him to introduce a technology-based centralized system for verification and criteria setting of scholarships.
The premier apprised that the government also launched a Rahmatullil Alamin Scholarship with a view to acquaint the youth with the leadership qualities of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and principles of the Madina state model which produced great leaders who brought about a great revolution.
He said any state, like the Scandinavian model, following those principles would excel and emerge as a welfare state.
The prime minister noted it was the government as well as society’s responsibility to guide the youth towards technology and humanity besides uplifting the people with more hunger and drive.
He said the portal would also help save students' precious time and make them focus on their education who otherwise had to go from pillar to post to register their scholarship-related complaints.
The prime minister also congratulated the team of Prime Minister Delivery Unit for putting in their efforts to launch the system and National University of Science and Technology for setting the education standard in Pakistan.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mahmood said the incumbent government enhanced the number of scholarship under the prime minister’s vision of not depriving any student for non-affordability of fees.
He said during last three years, the government gave a record number of scholarships.
Mahmood said giving priority to the higher education, the government allocated Rs123 billion for the sector including Rs42 billion for new schemes. Moreover, 28 new universities had been established during last three years, he added.
The minister also lauded the PMDU for keeping a check on the performance of the ministries.
