ISLAMABAD - The new notification of Higher Education Commission (HEC) for M. Phil and Ph.Ds scholarship has multiplied the miseries of already hard pressed public sector universities' students. The HEC criterion for scholarship is depriving the students of their right to get higher education within the country as well as abroad. The unaffordable expanses of education forced them to quit their studies. According to the notification a test of GRE will be necessary for admission to M. Phil/MS but this test is not helpful in the research work. "Why a student go to take such type of irrational tests who want to research in Bio, Chemistry, IR, Anthropology or Pakistan Studies," Sufian Munawar, a student of M. Phil at Qauid -i-Azam University, Islamabad, asked. The notification has states "Before Ph.D programme, candidates will need to complete 30 credit hours out of which 24 credit hour will be reserved for course work. Completion of 30 credit hours may lead to the award of M. Phil/Ms. The minimum Cumulative General Percentage Aggregate (CGPA) for admission in PhD should be 3.00 (preferably 3.5) out of 4.0 under the semester system or first division under annual system of examination in ms/M. Phil. The candidates must also pass subject GRE (international) test prior to submission of PhD thesis. These are the obstacles in the way of study for the students, who already faced a lengthy procedure to get scholarship from the HEC. "It is difficult for us to compete the HEC scholarship criteria, as we are in deploring condition, as there are lack of educational institutions in Balochistan, backwardness of the province is main hurdle in this way", Wahid Raheem, President of Balochistan Students Organization, told TheNation. Additional PhD level course work of at least 18 credit hours followed by a comprehensive examination along with thesis defence will be essential for the award of PhD degree. Owing to lack of PhDs in the country, the PhD students have no other choice but to select again M. Phil level courses, which is amazing. A PhD student of International Islamic University told this correspondent, "International subjective GRE is already compulsory for PhD students, while, HEC comprehensive examination condition is not understandable". He was of the view that this condition was imposed to discourage the students. This notification stated that PhD thesis must be evaluated by at least two experts from technologically/academically advanced countries. Acceptance/publication of at least one research paper in HEC approved journal is essential for the award of PhD degree. The PhD students depend, during their study over a supervisor, which is fully authoritative to take any serious action against these students. It is necessary for a PhD student to accept further restrictions of his supervisor, otherwise, he might be deprived of his PhD degree. This criteria of HEC for PhD scholarship is creating unrest among the students, especially, who come from the remote areas of the country like Balochistan, Sindh, northern Punjab, FATA and FANA. One of the HEC official told the scribe, wishing anonymity, "none of the conditions could help produce better researchers adding, I don't know why HEC is imposing model of developed countries here while we are living in a developing country and ground realities are quite different", he deplored. When Executive Director of the HEC Dr S. Sohail H. Naqvi was contacted, he ignoring all these objections, proudly said, "M. Phil and PhD are advanced degrees for which one requires a certain level of preparation and an aptitude to start the programme".