LAHORE: There will be no increase in the tuition fee for students and Rs735 million will be utilised for applied research, decided the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences` Syndicate while approving Rs2.06 billion budget for the 2015-16 fiscal at a meeting on Monday.

Presided over by ViceChancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, the syndicate meeting decided that the university would continue to provide free education and accommodation to 38 students from Balochistan in the next financial year. Of them, 13 are studying in PhD, 12 in M.Phil and 13 in undergraduate degree programmes.

The university also increased students` scholarship to Rs32 million for next fiscal, from Rs28m in 201314 and Rs31m in 2014-15.

Of the Rs923.126m set aside for development projects, a sum of Rs120m would be spent on development projects of Ravi Campus, Pattoki, Rs36m on College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Jhang, Rs40m on the development of a new para-veterinary school at Narowal and Rs700m on Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur.

The syndicate also approved seven new degree programmes, including BS Applied Microbiology (evening), MSc in Statistics and Chemistry, M.Phil Meat Science and Technology, M.

Phil Business Management, MBA Management Sciences and M.Phil Pet Animal Practice.

Earlier, presenting budget estimates, Treasurer Aslam Pervaiz said the university expected an income of Rs1,941.817m from different sources during the financial year 2015-16. He said Rs923.126m had been allocated for development projects while non-developmental expenditures were estimated at Rs1,077.47m.