HEC Chairman Appointment Delayed Due to Job Portal Glitch

🎓 HEC Chairman Appointment Delayed After Technical Error

The process to appoint a new Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairman has been delayed due to a technical problem in the National Information Technology Board (NITB) job portal.

The issue came to light during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, led by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt.

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🕐 Committee Questions Delay

Senator Bushra Anjum Butt asked about the timeline for completing the appointment process. She mentioned that she had received reports about the HEC website malfunctioning, which prevented candidates from applying.

However, the Federal Secretary for Education and Acting Chairman HEC clarified that the issue was not with the HEC website, but with the NITB job portal used to collect applications.

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💻 Applicants Given More Time

The Secretary explained that due to this technical glitch, applicants were given an extra week to upload their documents. Those who faced upload issues were contacted via email and asked to share their missing files.

When asked how the affected applicants were identified, the Secretary stated that all candidates managed to apply, but some couldn’t upload complete documents at the time.

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🧾 Appointment Process Still Underway

According to the Secretary, the selection process for the new HEC Chairman is still ongoing.

A shortlisting committee, headed by the Minister of State, has been formed to interview candidates and send the final list to the federal cabinet for approval.

The Secretary estimated that the process could take another two to three months to complete.

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📚 Call for Better Services

Senator Bushra Anjum Butt urged the authorities to improve HEC’s performance and make the system easier for students and applicants.

She emphasized that the HEC should take practical steps to offer faster services and reduce technical problems in the future.