Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology Mrs Razina Alam Khan on Wednesday said that advancement in scientific, and technological fields was a key to socio-economic development of a country.
Chairing Senate standing committee meeting at Parliament House he urged that all out efforts should be made to ensure that the benefits of research works by the organisations are utilised in industrial agricultural and other sectors with ultimate aim to improve the life standard of common man.
The committee discussed the progress of the report of the sub-committee on linkages between industry and educational institutions of science and technology.
Professor Muhammad Saeed Siddiqui, the convenor of the sub-committee briefed the committee about the detailed deliberations with the Ministry of Science and Technology for sorting out ways and means to produce linkages between industry and educational institutes of science and technology.
He said that the sub-committee had recommended to reconstitute Pakistan Technology Board (PTB) to make it a useful organisation for the country.
Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation briefed the committee about workable recommendations for sustainable technology base development for socio-economic progress.
Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology stated that the ministry along with its attached departments was making all out efforts to identify areas where the linkage was necessary.
He said that revival of PTB would enable the ministry and its attached departments to make a significant contribution for the socio-economic development of Pakistan.
Rector, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology apprised the committee of the working and performance of the institute and the achievements it has made since its inception.
He informed the committee that merit was strictly being followed by the institute and maximum facilities were being provided to the students to enable them to contribute in IT sector. He disclosed that 30 percent of students were given admission without charging any fee and that CIIT had planed to set up such institutes in all the four provinces.
The members of the committee appreciated the COMSATS Institute for Information Technology's role in promoting information technology in the country and assured its support for further improvement.
The committee called upon the government to allocate more funds, for organisations entrusted with the task of developing and promoting research in the field of science and technology so as to put the country on the development track.
The Minister for Science and Technology, Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor said that S&T was making revolutionary progress in the country and government was committed to give a boost to less developed areas in this field so that the people of these areas could benefit.