HEC Chairman Appointment Delayed by Glitch

Appointment for the Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairman has been delayed following a technical failure in the National Information Technology Board’s (NITB) job portal. The issue was highlighted during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, chaired by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt. The committee chairperson inquired about the expected timeline for the completion of the HEC chairman’s appointment process. She also noted that it had come to her attention that the HEC website was malfunctioning, preventing candidates from submitting applications. However, the Federal Secretary for Education and Acting Chairman HEC clarified that no issues occurred on the HEC website itself, but rather on the NITB job portal used for receiving applications. The Secretary explained that due to a technical fault in the system, applicants were granted an additional week to submit their documents. Candidates who faced upload issues were contacted via email to provide the missing documents. In response to a question from the committee chairperson about how authorities identified the affected candidates, the Secretary stated that all candidates had managed to apply, though some could not upload complete documents. According to the Secretary, the selection process for the HEC Chairman is currently ongoing. A shortlisting and scrutiny committee, headed by the Minister of State, has been formed to conduct candidate interviews and forward the final panel to the federal cabinet for approval. The Secretary estimated that it could take another two to three months to complete the appointment. Senator Bushra Anjum Butt urged the authorities to improve the functioning of the Higher Education Commission. She emphasized that the HEC should take concrete measures to facilitate students and applicants, ensuring smoother processes and better public service.