There is a need to carry out due diligence and rationalisation of all ministries and their many subsidiaries. The first ministry under focus is the Federal Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST). MoST is a Cabinet-level ministry of the Federal Government of Pakistan concerned with science and technology in Pakistan with focus on Pakistan's science policy, planning, co-ordination. It is also responsible for launching scientific research, development and technology driven programs and projects aimed at industrial and economic development of the country. Under MoST operates three lead entities; namely, National Research Laboratories, National Research Councils and National Research Institutes.
Under National Research Laboratories are 13 institutions, each engaged in its area of research works such as fuel, metallurgy, marine, precision engineering, analytical research, vacuum technology, food irradiation and charge accelerator. Most of these institutes are linked to universities in the public sector and other institutions like Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH).
Under National Research Councils are 15 large autonomous institutions such as Council for Works & Housing Research (CWHR), National Institute of Electronics (NIE), National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technology (PCRET), Pakistan Council for Science & Technology (PCST), Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (PCSIR), Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Pakistan Scientific & Technology Information Centre ( PASTIC), Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH), Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), STEDEC Technology Commercial Corporation of Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd, and National Commission on Nano-Science & Technology (NCNST).
Under National Research Institutes (NRI) are universities and research institutes affiliated with Universities operating in the field of Information Technology, Nuclear Science, Physics & Chemistry, Engineering, Agriculture and Biology, Space and Planetary and other fields. Prominent are COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, National University of Science & Technology (NUST), Pakistan Institute if Theoretical Physics at Lahore University of Engineering & Technology, Research Institute of Chemistry at Karachi University and others. In total, there are 18 such institutions.
All the above said entities are federally funded, but are controlled autonomously by their appointed Directors General and management teams. The urgency for achieving excellence in Science & Technology for the growth of the new-born nation was recognised in the early years of Pakistan. In 1950, the office of Science Advisor was created by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan and Dr Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was appointed as the first Science Advisor.
The concept was to achieve excellence in research and development to support local industry in producing innovative products based on indigenous manpower, technology and material and to support educational institutions in specialised fields and also to support the defence industry of Pakistan so as to speed up Pakistan's economic growth and achieve self-sufficiency. The task to do so was delegated to MoST. From mid 50s, it embarked on the task of building research institutes and today there are as many as 47 such institutes.
These institutes have on their roll a significant number of scientists, professors, research analysts, engineers and other experts. Each institute is equipped with research software and hard ware and housed in spacious facilities located in landmark areas of Pakistan.
One needs to carry out a fair analysis of the return to the nation in real terms on the large investment that has been made to set up these institutions and more importantly, to sustain them - all out of public money. Their deliverables to the industry of Pakistan, academia and defence industry need to be closely looked into.
Some of the institutions have achieved a remarkable recognition and have delivered well. COMSATS Institute of Information Technology is one of them. Established in 1998 as a public research university in Pakistan is ranked among top 250 Asian Universities. It has over 5,000 on its main Islamabad Campus and over 30,000 more in its 6 satellite campuses. The university has since its inception produced around 900 PhDs.
National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) is another flag carrier. As of 2016, it has over 15,000 students and is ranked by QS World Ranking's as among the leading 50 universities under the age of 50 and among top 500 universities of the world.
There are few other great exceptions. But majority of the 47 institutes are not delivering much to the nation. Their contributions range from nil to insignificant, their exposure to public regarding their deliverables is limited, and there is overlapping of functions among the entities under MoST and with other government institutions perusing nearly similar objectives.
Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) was established in 1953 for the development of scientific and technical research and R&D with a focus to support the industry of Pakistan. PCSIR hosts 150 officers & technical staff including 7 directors at its head office and a top team of 681 scientists, PhDs, engineers and technologists and a support team of 1,656 technical and skilled staff and 178 administrative staff based at PCSIR well-equipped and spacious facilities all over the country. Their deliverables to the industry of the country are a question mark?
All countries that have achieved excellence in science, technology, Research & Development in Industry, Space, Defence, Academia - the government institutions responsible to facilitate them and the industry and academia worked hand in hand as one team. This has not happened in Pakistan. The research institutes of the government, the industry and academic institutions, by and large, work in isolation making no meaningful contribution to the greater objective of achieving the desired results. There is a need to rationalise the resources available with the institutes of MoST and align them well with the industry and academia and do away whatever is redundant.
(The writer is former President Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry)
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