HEC Clarifies Promotion of Senior Employees

It has been clarified by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) that employees serving in the same scale for more than a decade regularly receive promotion under the commission's laws. In the past, such promotions have been granted three times; in 2003, 2004, and 2013.

At its meetings in December 2002, the HEC delegated power to the Chairperson that he or she "should be competent to create, re-designate, and upgrade posts in accordance with the HEC Service Rules" notified by notification number 19-2/HEC/Admin/2002/257 dated February 26, 2003.

Under paragraph 3 of notification number 19-2/HEC/Admin/2002/ 257 dated February 26, 2003, the Executive Director was delegated the power to create, re-designate, and upgrade posts in accordance with HEC Service Rule.

Long-serving employees, ranging from 9 to 13 years in the same grade, had submitted their requests for promotion. In response, a departmental committee was formed to examine the matter thoroughly and make recommendations to the Finance and Planning Committee of HEC based on merit. HEC Senior Officers, namely: two Advisers and four DGs including the DG (Finance) and the In-Charge.

Over a period of three to four months, the Committee met multiple times to examine the matter. After meeting its requirements, the committee approved the promotion of employees of a variety of cadres who were either stuck in the same grade or had no career prospects during their retirement.

Following the Commission's procedure, the matter was referred to the Finance Planning Committee. Additionally, members of the committee included the Deputy Financial Advisor, Finance Division, GoP, and the Deputy Supervisor, M/O Education. For such employees, the committee approved the recommendations of the HEC Committees. Due to the fact that both external members endorsed the case, the allegation that they showed concerns is also false.

Therefore, as defined in HEC Recruitment Rules, on the recommendation of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) and subsequent approval thereof by the appointing authority, viz the Chairperson or Executive Director of HEC, as the case may be, promoted cadre employees who were stuck for long have been granted higher scale by complying with all the requirements and observing relevant rules/policy framed by the Commission and notified in the Pakistan Gazette.