Chairman and CEO NetSol Technologies, Salim Ghauri has expressed concerns about the future of hundreds of students, which is at stake due to the delay in releasing of scholarships by the ministry of IT.
Ghauri said a large number of students are studying on the ministry's scholarships while dozens of research projects being run on the ministry's IT funds and any further delay may put the future of these students and researchers at stake.
He was reacting over the press reports that the funds are being delayed just because the board of directors of Information and Communication Technologies Research and Development (ICT R&D) Fund has failed to hold a meeting regarding the matter.
CEO NetSol urged the federal government to look into the matter on urgent basis and ensure early release of funds, as their non-payment of them is resulting into suspension of work on all projects. The ministry established ICT R&D Fund in September 2006, aiming to transform Pakistan's economy into a knowledge-based economy. At present, the fund is supporting about 1,300 students, mostly from rural and underprivileged areas in terms of scholarships' award for four-year BS programme in IT-related disciplines.-PR