'Complacency impedes progress'

Member of the National Commission for Government Reforms Shamsh Kassim Lakha has called upon the engineering students to be cautious of the complacency as it impedes process of upgradation of knowledge once a graduate engineer is settled in his career.
He was speaking as a chief guest at the annual gala dinner and ceremony to award engineering graduates achieving excellence in their examinations and recognise services of the employees of the Siemens on Friday. Lakha said that knowledge needs to be refreshed and upgradation with the passage of time. Stale engineering knowledge does not pay, he added.
He said that the world was changing fast and developments were taking place with the passage of each day. What was correct only yesterday would be proved wrong tomorrow or at least some revision takes place. Only those who have the ability and the will to keep themselves updated and abreast of developments would be able to progress and the rest would be left behind. Those left behind would be forgotten forever.
He said that the intelligence demanded action and accumulation of information about the chosen subject. It would keep a professional alive and in demand. Those who love complacency and believe in relaxing over their once-gained achievement usually begin their career as a bright professional but end up as a mediocre, he added.
He said that the nation wanted young and bright technocrats to provide leadership in different fields of activities and show others the path to success.
Lakha took stock of the educational conditions in Pakistan, made proposals for its improvement and said that extensive knowledge is indispensable for progress, adding and to gain it there must be constant struggle. There is no shortcut to success, he said. He said that knowledge comes through deliberate enhancement in the existing stock of knowledge and by polishing it with fresh information.
Siemens Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sohail Wajahat Siddiqui in his brief address of welcome said, "The presence of Mr Lakha and our award of gold medals to engineering students from across the country represents our dedication to excellence which is the world wide philosophy of Siemens."
He mentioned the achievements of Arfa Karim, who was present on the occasion and said, "She has achieved the impossible by becoming the world's youngest girl with IT certification from Microsoft."
Karim was invited to meet Bill gates and made us all proud by the way she represented Pakistan, he said. Wajahat said, "It is students like Arfa and the top students from the engineering universities present here who give us confidence in the future of Pakistan."
Later, the achievements of the Siemens employees were recognised. These employees had excelled in their performance last year and had helped the company achieve its targets. Gold medals were given to engineering graduates who had excelled in the examinations. Lakha gave away the shields and gold medals. Corporate Communications Director Ziaul Islam Zuberi conducted the programme.
Those who were presented gold medals included Waqar Ahmed Qureshi of the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi; Mian Abdul Manan of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro; Armaghan Ahmed of University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore; Saad Mubeen, NWFP University of Engineering and technology, Peshawar; Babar Shaheen, Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology, Khuzdar; and, Arfa Karim, Human Excellence.