The government on Friday announced National Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I) Policy 2012 to boost the country's socio-economic development. The policy was formally announced by Mir Changez Khan Jamali, Federal Minister for Science and Technology at a ceremony organised by Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (PCST) in collaboration with Ministry of Science & Technology.
The event was also attended by dignitaries including federal ministers, parliamentarians, senior officials, academicians, representatives from foreign missions, donor agencies, and representatives of chamber of commerce. The policy focuses on environment science, bio-technology, energy, water, mineral, ocean-sciences, and engineering sectors as the critical areas demanding priority in economic development.
Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Science & Technology highlighted key points from the policy document titled "National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2012". The demand-driven and people centric policy reflected a milestone for development strategy of self-reliance and focused on improving the quality of the common people by creating an industrial and economic environment, he added.
He further stressed that growth of country was strongly dependent on its Science & Technology capacity, and lauded the efforts of PCST and Ministry of Science in this regard. Federal Minister of State for Science & Technology, Raheela Shahadat Baloch welcomed the policy and said that investing in scientific research and technological innovation would inevitably result in socio-economic uplift. She has shown trust for effective implementation and success of the policy document, which has been developed very carefully involving the stakeholders.
Federal Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology Akhlaq Ahmed Tarar said the key objective of the ceremony was to create consciousness among stakeholders about the National ST&I policy. While highlighting the main objectives of the ST&I policy, he said the policy aimed at broadening areas of socio-economic development, human resource development, R&D infrastructure, and promotion of ST&I in the society and S&T management system. The new policy envisaged a paradigm shift, in which innovation was recognised as an integral part of S&T system, he added. PCST Chairperson Professor Dr Mudassir Asrar said the policy was an inspiring initiative of Pakistan Council for Science and Technology in strengthening scientific and technological co-operation among the stakeholders.