University of Peshawar employees found taking commissions for issuing degrees

An investigation has found that University of Peshawar employees have been taking commissions from students to issue transcripts and degrees, Geo News reported Tuesday.

The University of Peshawar, the largest university in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, issues more than 20,000 transcripts and degrees to students annually.

However, 8% was charged as a commission by university employees from the amount collected for degrees, transcripts (marks sheets) and verification fees.

From the received amount, 50% was allotted to the controller examinations, 30% went to the deputy controller and 20% to the verification assistant.

In the online foreign degree verification fee, 40% went to the controller of examinations and the registrar and 20% to the verification assistant.

The investigation found that the university employees took millions of rupees from the students under the guise of law.

The staff took Rs1.6 million out of Rs20 million that the varsity took for degree verification, while they siphoned off Rs2.6 million from a total of Rs30.3 million taken for degree issuance.

Special Assistant for Higher Education Kamran Khan Bangash distanced himself from the University Syndicate and said that some people in the universities were playing the role of a mafia.

However, after the government's directive, the University Syndicate abolished the extra fees charged from the students.

Till 2012, employees of the examinations department used to receive 10% of the fees for issuing and verifying degrees, but the syndicate later reduced this to 8%.

The university administration has terminated the share, but the question is whether the money taken so far will be taken back from the employees?