Framing of rules by concerned departments: Fawad opposes parliamentary oversight on rules of ministries

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Monday opposed the parliamentary oversight on the rules of ministries, saying the job of the Parliament is legislation and the rules should be framed by concerned departments.

The minister further said that parliamentarians from the treasury benches including Fakhr Imam and Riaz Fatiana proposed more than 300 amendments to ministries' rules but they did not bother to take concerned departments on board.

This, he stated, while briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Science and Technology which met with Sajid Mehdi in the chair here on Monday.

The minister said that restructuring of the Ministry of Science and Technology has been completed and restructuring of subsidiaries of the ministry will start soon.

Secretary Science and Technology Naseem Nawaz revealed before the committee that there is not a single laboratory for making solar cells nationwide. There is no duty on importing solar panels, said the official, adding that duty has been imposed on import of solar cells. He further said that solar panels made in Pakistan are expensive.

Furthermore, Pakistan does not have quality control system for electronics, said the secretary, adding that they can not check the quality of the refrigerator. He further said that Pakistan would set up first electronics laboratory by 2024. Before 2024, electronics industry will not have the ability to test the quality, said the secretary, adding that after four years they would be able to test the quality of electronics for the first time. Furthermore, the country faces lack of artificial intelligence technology, he added.

The committee was also informed that government departments are refusing to use products made by the Ministry of Science and Technology. "We are tired of producing products but no department is ready to take them," he added.

The ministry has prepared streetlights for Chashma Barrage, but these lights were not used. The nanotechnology filter was procured by the UNDP; however government departments were reluctant to procure it. The committee recommended for enhancing the capacity of the Ministry of Science and Technology and its subsidiaries.

The agenda items regarding pending legislative business referred to the committee was deferred due to non-availability of mover and representative from Ministry of Law and Justice.

The committee was informed that Pakistan Council Science and Technology was established as National Science Council in 1961 under the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research and later its charter was revised and it was renamed as Pakistan Council of Science and Technology (PCST) under the Ministry of Science and Technology in 1984.

The committee was informed that PCST is facing lack of continuity of leadership in the Council and for the last 10 years, it has no regular chairman. PCST has no infrastructure at provincial level which limits its capacity to perform some of its functions. It has also problems that the human and financial resources do not match with the assigned functions/mandate and expected achievements from this organization.

The total technical sanctioned strength of PCST are 21 whereas 05 are filled (in Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100 professionals are engaged in STI policy research), but there is no allocation of funds at all for implementation of the STI Policy. The amount for research productivity award was Rs70 million in 2017 but it was reduced in 2019 to Rs 2 million. The meeting of National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST), under the chair of Prime Minister, being head, has not been convened after December 2001.

PCST was designated as Secretariat of National Commission of Science and Technology. PCST is playing the leading role in the formation of National Science and Technology policy. It also assists and advises the government on collection and publication of National S&T indicator and numerical rating of the scientists of the country on the basis of their research.

The committee was further informed about the major objectives and functions of PCST which include taking the measures for effective collaboration among academia R&D (research and development) organization and industry for development of indigenous products and technologies, promoting the quality R&D culture in the country, evaluation of National Research and Development activities including output of individual and institutions for award of financial support thereof, promoting the collaboration among national and international organizations for promotion and capacity building in science and technology to enter in MOUs, contracts, etc, participation in national science and technology planning and development activities and providing advice on selection of projects.