KARACHI: The research grants recently notiñed by Karachi University (KU) have provoked the ire of some teachers who believe it is not only meagre but also unequal and unjust, according to sources.

The sources told Dawn on Sunday that the research grant had been notiñed after a gap of two years without holding any consultation with respective deans of faculties.

The faculty most seriously hit by the `unjust allocation`, the sources said, was the social sciences, the second largest facultyof the university, which had been allocated only Rs3m.

Allocations for other faculties are: Rs21m (science), Rs6.5m (pharmacy), Rs1.5m (Islamic studies) and Rs1m (all others combined).

`We informed the vice chancellor of our concern last month but he appears to be under pressure from a teachers` lobby,` said a teacher on condition of anonymity while expressing reservations over allocation of Rs6m to the pharmacy faculty which had only four departments.

Neither the vice chancellor nor the director finance was available for comments.

The faculty of social scienceswith over 5,000 students, the highest number of students after science faculty, and 181 teachers has 17 teaching departments and four research centres.

The issue, the sources said, was also raised by the dean concerned through a letter to the director of Snance and the vice chancellor.

The letter said: `It is pertinent to mention here that Rs4m, that is,27pcofthe totalresearchgrant was allocated to the faculty of arts (now the faculty of social sciences)in1999-2000.

However, this allocation has been reduced to Rs3m, only 9.09pc of the total allocation for 2016-17. In 1999-2000, researchgrant allocation for science and pharmacies faculties was Rs7.5m and Rs2.25m respectively.

`The allocation for 2016 (for social science faculty) is highly unrealistic. It is, therefore, requested that this grant is enhanced to Rs8m and the budget for social science is revised to an approximate amount of Rs10m per annum in order to promote research activitiesin an adequate manner.

The sources said that research grant had been delayed for two years due to late submission of audit details by the former dean of science faculty.

Dean of the faculty of social sci-ences, Prof Moonis Ahmar, urged the administration to revisit its decision.

`The research grant should have been announced at the outset of the year. All teachers believe it will affect research activities,` he said.

Endorsing his views, president of Karachi University Teachers Society Dr Shakeel Faroogi said though the total allocation was paltryfor allfaculties, the allocation for social sciences was highly unjust.

He warned if the university administration failed to disburse the grant before June 15, KUTS would be compelled to protest.