Monthly electricity bill of Karachi University exceeds Rs100m, teachers told

Karachi University's (KU) monthly electricity bill has surpassed Rs100 million, with the vice chancellor, Prof Dr Wasim Qazi, attributing the high costs to energy, security, financial, and administrative issues. Current usage has reached 8.6MW, far exceeding the sanctioned capacity of 1.8MW. To address the financial strain, KU has submitted a PC-1 for a 12-megawatt solar project to the Sindh chief secretary.

Security concerns include unauthorised individuals and criminal elements infiltrating entry points, prompting a PC-1 for a permanent solution. KU needs urgent reforms to maintain its historic legacy while adhering to modern requirements. A comprehensive brand book has been prepared for Syndicate approval, and a committee will review rules related to KU, its sub-institutions, and research centres.

KU is introducing a two-path educational system for students, offering a Corporate Readiness Path for practical industry training and an Entrepreneurship Path for an incubation centre. A Rs50 million endowment fund has been established to aid indigent and meritorious students, with the need for a permanent scholarship fund emphasized.

KU operates under a single-entry accounting system, hindering transparency, and pension, endowment, and provident funds will be registered under the Sindh Trust Act. Despite challenges, KUTS president Syed Ghufran Alam reported the society's annual performance report, highlighting efforts to serve all faculty members without discrimination. Qazi personally contributed Rs100,000 to the KUTS Benevolent Fund.