THE Higher Education Commission (HEC) needs to be told some truths. The commission advertised various posts of administrative and support nature like project directors, programme directors and other such positions.

Hardly a few days were given to the candidates for the NTS test held on Nov 4. Although all tests were held on the same date, some posts were advertised separately. The phone number mentioned in the advertisement was not picked by anyone during the period from the date of advertisement and testing by the NTS.

The candidates were asked to apply separately for each post to preclude competitors. Thus whole scheme of induction has been designed and executed so intelligently that personnel of personal choosing may be inducted at specific slots with no legal lacunas and loose ends apparent to a casual observer.

Instead of rewarding merit and selecting the best people to fill slots by a transparent criterion that is available to everyone before the testing by the NTS and interviews take place, the HEC has channelled and legalised unfair practices with the connivance of all those at the helm of affairs in the selection process of the HEC.

The HEC is supposed to reform higher education in Pakistan but the question is: who will reform the HEC so that it respects and values merit first in its own house?

A CITIZEN                            Islamabad