The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved a budget of Tk 10,515 crore for 51 public universities of the country for 2022-2023 fiscal year.
The commission approved the budget at its 162nd full meeting held on Monday (May 16) with UGC chairman (additional charge) Prof Dil Afroza Begum in the chair.
Secretary of UGC Ferdous Zaman presented the working paper of the meeting. UGC member (Finance and Accounts) Prof Dr Md Abu Taher presented the revised budget for the fiscal year 2021-2022 and the details of the main budget for the fiscal year 2022-2023.
The budget has allocated Tk 10,444.04 crore for public universities and Tk 71.67 crore for the UGC.
The main budget of the public university has a revenue budget of Tk 6,236 million and a development budget of Tk 4,420.44 million in favour of 40 projects.
A total of Tk 150 crore has been allocated in the main budget for 2022-2023 fiscal for higher education and research in public universities. Compared to the current financial year, the allocation in this sector has been increased by Tk. 32 crore. In the 2021-2022 financial year, a total of Tk. 116 crore was allocated in the research sector in the main budget.
It can be noted that out of the Tk 71.67 crore allocated in the budget for UGC in the next financial year, Tk. 20 crore has been allocated for public university research, which is Tk 2 crore more than that in the current financial year.
About more allocation in the research sector, Prof Abu Taher said the UGC’s main goal is to ensure quality in higher education in the country and build a culture of research. There is no alternative to quality research in the development of the country. UGC is urging the universities of the country to increase research and innovation activities. The allocation in this sector is gradually increasing and it will continue, he added.
He further said that for the first time, Tk 10 crore has been allocated for public university teachers to achieve higher degrees abroad. He advised the public university authorities to use the budget with transparency and accountability.
UGC members Prof Dr Md Sajjad Hossain, Prof Dr Muhammad Alamgir and Prof Dr Biswajit Chanda, Vice Chancellor of National University Prof Dr Md Moshiur Rahman, Vice Chancellor (acting) of Rangamati University of Science and Technology Prof Dr Kanchan Chakma, Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Professionals Major General Md Mahbub-ul Alam, Vice Chancellor of Islamic Arabic University Prof Dr Muhammad Ahsan, Dean of the School of Education of the Bangladesh Open University Prof Sufia Begum were present as members of the full commission.
The meeting was also attended by members of the Planning Commission (Earth Social Infrastructure) and nominated representatives of the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.