LAHORE:
In a drastic move, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has imposed an immediate ban on the establishment, operation and advertisement of university sub-campuses at the tehsil level across Punjab and the entire country.
The decision, communicated through an official notification, sent shockwaves through private and public sector universities which had been rapidly expanding into smaller districts.
According to the directive, all ongoing and ongoing projects on sub-campuses have been suspended with immediate effect. Universities have been instructed to suspend admissions, recruitment, land acquisition and construction activities related to these campuses.
The HEC also clarified that no new no-objection certificate (NOC), accreditation or clearance will be issued for sub-campuses at the tehsil level until further notice.
The crackdown comes after internal reviews revealed that many of these sub-campuses in Punjab and other provinces were operating well below academic standards.
The key concerns highlighted in the notification include a severe shortage of PhD-qualified faculty, insufficient student enrollment and weak infrastructure.
HEC said that sub-campuses created without prior authorization will not benefit from academic status and the diplomas awarded by these establishments will not be recognized.
An HEC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the measure was taken after repeated warnings were ignored, adding that several institutions were prioritizing expansion over quality, which directly jeopardized the future of students.
“We cannot allow degree-awarding bodies to operate without meeting minimum academic criteria,” he added. Investigations reveal that many illegal or unapproved sub-campuses operated under the auspices of parent universities, but without formal authorization from HEC.
In larger cities of Punjab, these campuses often rented small buildings in Tehsil towns, offering limited programs with part-time or visiting faculty. In several cases, classes were taught only on weekends, raising serious questions about academic rigor.
Education sector sources say some universities have carried out aggressive marketing campaigns to attract students from rural and semi-urban areas, promising them recognized degrees and modern facilities. However, the ground realities paint a different picture, with students facing problems such as lack of laboratories, libraries and qualified teaching staff.
A senior official of the Punjab Higher Education Department said they have received many complaints from students and parents regarding the poor quality of education in these sub-campuses.
“In many cases, students have been misled about the recognition status of their diplomas. This action by HEC is necessary to restore confidence in the system.” The issue has taken on urgency in recent years as universities increasingly sought to explore untapped small-town markets.
Education experts say the lack of strict oversight has allowed schools to exploit regulatory loopholes.
“Some universities established sub-campuses without proper feasibility studies. They lacked essential facilities and relied largely on temporary faculty. This is not sustainable for quality higher education,” said Muzaffad Mahmood, a Lahore-based academic.
