Peshawar, December 6, 2024: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Provincial Assembly has passed the KP Universities Amendment Bill 2024, introducing significant changes to the governance structure of public sector universities in the province.
Presented by the Minister for Higher Education, Meena Khan, the bill designates the Chief Minister as the Chancellor of all public universities, replacing the Governor’s longstanding role. It also grants the Chief Minister authority to appoint Vice-Chancellors (VCs), based on recommendations from an Academic Search Committee that will propose three candidates for each vacancy.
According to newly passed bill, vice chancellors (VC) will now serve a four-year term, subject to review by a government-appointed Monitoring Committee. The committee will evaluate a VC’s performance, and those scoring below 65% may face termination. The bill mandates that only women can hold the position of VC in the women universities, aiming to enhance women’s representation in leadership roles within higher education.
This legislation signifies a shift towards centralized governance of public universities under the provincial government, introducing mechanisms for increased accountability and performance assessment.
