By Abdul Ghani

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is considering allocating separate funds to maintain a 35% salary gap between Tenure Track System (TTS) and Basic Pay Scale (BPS) faculties, according to a document available with Wealth Pakistan.

The document reveals that the Finance Division had earlier decided that a 35% differential would be maintained between BPS and TTS salaries. Additionally, up to 15% of TTS faculty meeting specific performance benchmarks, including high research output, would be eligible for up to a 100% salary increase.

However, structural issues in the salary framework have led to a gradual narrowing of this gap over time. Universities have been granting additional perks and privileges to BPS faculty without consulting the Finance Division, while TTS salaries remained largely unchanged due to regulatory constraints. This disparity has reduced the intended salary differential to below the mandated 35%.

Ad hoc increases announced by the federal government in recent budgets were not extended to TTS faculty, as their pay packages are all-inclusive. As a result, lower-grade TTS faculty experienced comparatively fewer increments, further complicating the pay structure.

Under the current mechanism, the Finance Division provides a lump-sum grant to HEC for disbursement to universities. This grant is intended to cover salary shortfalls and other expenditures, including TTS salaries. However, HEC now believes that dedicated funding streams are necessary to ensure the prescribed 35% gap is consistently maintained.

The issue has also been subject to legal scrutiny.

 TTS faculty had approached the Islamabad High Court seeking implementation of the approved salary increases. The court, however, ruled that financial decisions involving recurring liabilities — such as TTS salary revisions — require approval from the Federal Cabinet under constitutional provisions.

Following the court’s decision, authorities have been directed to place the matter before the Federal Cabinet for a comprehensive review. The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training is expected to play a key role in presenting the case, incorporating recommendations from HEC and financial authorities.

The move to consider separate funding highlights growing concerns over sustainability and equity in the higher education pay structure, as policymakers attempt to balance fiscal discipline with academic competitiveness.

Credit: INP-WealthPk