HYDERABAD: Sindh University administration has appealed to Sindh government and Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad, to provide it special grant of Rs511m to help the university bridge funding gap and ensure uninterrupted academic and administrative functions.

The university presented annual budget estimates for financial year 2024-25, amounting to Rs9.236 billion with a projected deficit of Rs888.465m during 37th meeting of the university`s senate, according to a press release issued on Thursday.

Estimated receipts for 2024-25 stood at Rs8.592bn including Rs2.964bn from Sindh government; Rs1.823bn from HEC, Rs2.902bn from student income, Rs200m from profit on investments and cash balances and Rs702m from miscellaneous sources, it said.It said the SU planned to spend Rs5.103bn on salaries, Rs2.138bn on pensionary benefits and Rs1.994bn on non-salary expenses. Financial report highlighted that cost per student had reached Rs207,364 whereas the income generated per student through grants and fees was just Rs192,914, it said.

The senate was told total student enrollment had increased to 44,542 up from 38,730 in previous year across 239 academic programmes of undergraduate, postgraduate, M.Phil. and Ph.D. levels.

Despite increased revenue from student fees, share of expenditures was consumed by employee-related costs and the university continued to face staff shortages with only 561 out of 1,062 sanctioned faculty positions filled and 2,069 out of 3,446 administrative posts occupied.

To address the budget deficit, the SU launched a deficit reduction plan that included introduction of four new BS programmes, projected to generate Rs77m, implementation of austerity measures to save Rs200m and a campus-wide solarisation project expected to reduce electricity costs by Rs100m.

A business plan was being developed to explore nontraditional sources of revenue and efforts were under way to improve recovery of student dues, hostel fees and commercial rents, said the press release.

The senate meeting chaired by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalil ur Rehman Khoumbhati appealed to Sindh government and HEC to provide it a special grant of Rs511m to bridge funding gap and ensure uninterrupted academic and administrative functions.

With growing student enrolment, academic expansion and rising financial demands, the SU was committed to sustaining its educational services while seeking urgent financial support from relevant authorities, it said.-Staff Correspondent