ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (r) Nasirul Mulk on Tuesday said the promotion of science and technology was critical to the socio-economic development of the country.
He emphasised upon the need for greater collaboration among the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education and relevant provincial bodies for updating the curricula to make it more relevant to the realities of time.
The PM expressed these views while chairing a briefing on the functions and achievements of the Ministry of Science and Technology here at the PM Office.
Minister for Science and Technology Muhammad Yusuf Shaikh, Secretary to the Prime Minister Suhail Aamir, Science and Technology Secretary Yasmin Masood and senior government officials were present during the briefing.
The science and technology secretary briefed the prime minister about the mandate and performance of various organisations of the ministry in various streams, including academics, policy formulation, research and development, standardisation/regulation and promotion of inter-governmental cooperation in the field of science and technology.
Outlining the highlights of major achievements, it was informed that the National Institute of Oceanology and the Ministry of Science and Technology along with Pakistan Navy had played a leading role in securing extension of more than 50,000 sq km to the existing continental shelf.
In the field of academics, the recognition achieved by NUST and COMSATS among the top-ranking universities of the world contributed to improving the country’s profile at international level.
The prime minister was informed that development of cardiac stents, orthopaedic implants and 72 different types of scientific/biomedical equipment, at an affordable price, were among the major achievements of the ministry and its allied departments.
The meeting was also briefed about various initiatives of the ministry, including Research Productivity Award (RPA) to encourage young scientists, National Science Talent Farming Programme for granting scholarships to the talented students for a period of five years, and establishment of Precision Systems Training Centers in various cities of the country.
PM Mulk appreciated the performance of the ministry and underlined the need for putting in place a robust mechanism of cooperation among all the stakeholders to ensure quality and standards of health-related equipment and implants which were being developed and utilised in the country.
